Cliche
by CloudNineKitty
Summary: 'Delinquent,' ran through Naruto's head repeatedly. Kiba had been right. Sasuke had been kicked out of his old school because he had become a juvenile delinquent! Everything about Sasuke screamed, "I'm going to paint the town with graffiti and kick some kids in the ass." Well, maybe it didn't literally scream that, but it was pretty damn close in Naruto's head. AU, SasuNaru
1. The Teme Returns

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**AN: I'm not very witty with disclaimers, am I?**

**Okay, let's get to the point. Yes, I know I promised I wouldn't post another chapter fic until I finished a few others, but I figured it would be okay since "King Me" and "I Want To Get In Your Genes" are about to end, each with only two more chapters left. Not to mention that the first three chapters of this story have already been written, but I'll be posting the next two depending on how well this chapter does. Tell me what you think and I'll post depending on the feedback I get.**

**So let's get started!**

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><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

**The Teme Returns**

Naruto cussed as he ran through the front gate of his school. _Damn, damn, damn! _He all but screamed in his head. _Only the second week of school and I'm already running late! _He skidded to a stop, hopping on one foot at the sudden break in momentum, and opened his shoe locker, kicking off his sneakers and taking out the white uwabaki. He shoved his other shoes into the locker and closed the door while stepping into the slippers, uncaring that he was walking on the back of the heels.

Really, he didn't know why he had an alarm clock if it couldn't do its damn job and wake him up properly _and_ on time. Not that he would ever agree with what his friends said about only a fog horn being able to wake him up. Maybe if there was an alarm clock that was as loud as a fog horn, he might never be late for school again. His neighbors probably wouldn't agree to have that in the building, though.

"Crap," he hissed as he bounced on one foot to pull his shoes on properly before heading up the stairs to his classroom.

"Hey, Uzumaki, no running in the halls!" a teacher yelled from an opened classroom that he passed.

Naruto winced at being called out, but didn't listen. When did he ever? Besides, he was almost there, almost there…

He all but crashed into the door when he failed to open it properly before entering. Sliding it open, he grinned guiltily at his homeroom teacher, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry, Kakashi sensei, I didn't wake up to my alarm this morning."

"Hn, dobe," a disdainful voice said.

Naruto's eyes widened a fraction, realizing that wasn't his teacher's voice. While he wasn't as familiar with the deep tone, he was sure as hell he knew that insulting nickname. He looked over at the boy dressed in a black gakuran uniform standing at the front of the classroom and suddenly felt like they were the only two in the room. Dark raven hair styled to stick out in the back; almost girlish, clear pale skin; and black pits for eyes that always looked down on him when he was younger.

Finally, reality struck him like a rubber band to the face, and he jumped back a little in shock. "Eh?" he bellowed. "Sasuke-teme! What are _you_ doing here? I thought you went to that fancy high school in Otogakure, dattebayo!"

"Naruto, stop shouting," Kakashi said in irritation from his desk at the front of his classroom. "Sasuke's transferring to Konoha due to unforeseen circumstances."

"Circumstances," Naruto repeated, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at the Uchiha standing before him casually, his hands in his pockets and signature scowl on his face. "What circumstances?"

"Che," Sasuke glared at the other teen for a brief moment before turning his head away, as if Naruto wasn't worth the energy it took to scowl at someone. "It doesn't concern you, idiot."

Naruto gaped at the other boy. Sure, he was used to Sasuke insulting him when they were in elementary school, but it's been five years! The asshole didn't know if Naruto was an idiot or not, even if Sakura did called him one every day. "Why you-"

Kakashi cut him off mid-retort. "Naruto, please go take your seat. Sasuke, now that you're done introducing yourself, please sit in the empty desk behind Naruto."

"What?" Naruto whined, trotting over to his teacher's desk and wiggling his hips as he pouted. He was unaware of how awkward he was making the girl sitting in the desk directly behind him feel at the display of his squirming rear (though he would have thought of it as a blessing for her since he saw himself as one of the hottest guys in Konoha). "Kakashi sensei, please don't sit that jerk behind me!"

"Do you suggest that I move someone else just to suit your comfort, Uzumaki?" Kakashi asked, smirking behind his surgical mask, but narrowing his complete heterochromia eyes.

Naruto sighed. "I guess not," he groaned out as if he had just agreed to lug a bag of bricks up a mountain. And really, he would prefer that over having his elementary school rival/best friend sitting in a desk behind him. Even though they had been close in their younger years, their time together had ended on a rather abrupt note; now the Uchiha was back and insulting Naruto right off the bat! Weren't childhood friends supposed to hug and greet each other happily when they reunited? Sure, Naruto was partially to blame for snapping rudely back at Sasuke, but the bastard had started it! He wasn't going to feign smiles and laughs if Sasuke was going to act so cold!

He plodded over to his desk, setting his bag under it as he sat down. He glared up at Sasuke who didn't even so much as glance at him as he walked past Naruto and sat in the desk behind him.

Under what circumstances was Sasuke doing here?

In elementary school, the Uchiha had been at the top of the class and got offers from high schools all over the five great nations. Why did he return to Konoha, and to a public high school nonetheless? He wasn't going to get into a top notch college with this school's name on his application.

Naruto decided not to worry about it too much. Sasuke was barely giving him the time of day, so he'd humbly return the favor. He too could pretend like nothing had happened between them all those years ago. Of course that was easier said than done…

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><p>"Naruto, want to get some fruit milk from the cafeteria?" Kiba called from his seat across the classroom, Shikamaru getting up to go stand with him.<p>

"You bet!" Naruto grinned. "Hold on, let me get my money." He ducked down and pulled out his wallet from his school bag. Right when he looked up, a girl with long red hair came strolling into the classroom, wearing a black skirt and thigh high socks, and a white, short sleeved top. She didn't look at anyone in the classroom, her eyes zeroed in on one person in particular.

"Sasuke," she said in a smooth voice that seemed too mature for someone her age, pushing her thick-rimmed glasses further up on her nose. "We're going to go have lunch on the roof."

"Who's she?" someone behind Naruto whispered.

"Another transfer student, I guess…"

"Did more kids come from Otogakure?"

Naruto watched as Sasuke stood up nonchalantly and left with the girl, almost seeming as though he hadn't heard her and got the idea to go to the roof himself. He didn't even look at her when she hooked arms with him and put her head on his shoulder. Heck, she could probably burst into flames and Sasuke would keep on walking.

The room filled with murmurs of the students and Naruto made his way over to Kiba and Shikamaru. "That was weird," he stated as the three boys headed out the door in the opposite direction of Sasuke and that girl. "Why's he here?"

"From what I've heard, he got in trouble at his old school." Kiba said while they stopped outside another classroom and Shikamaru went in to retrieve Choji.

"Whoa, Uchiha did?" Naruto asked in both amusement and disbelief. "That goody-two-shoes? What could he have possible done to get kicked out of a private school?"

Shikamaru rejoined the conversation, Choji now behind him. "It's just a rumor. No one really knows why he transferred back."

"Maybe he got homesick," Kiba said, and Choji snorted. He returned to his previous answer. "They say he got caught up in a gang or something. Some of his cronies joined him in the transfer."

Choji nodded in agreement. "Yeah, two of them are in my class. Suigetsu and Jugo I think are their names."

Naruto's mouth formed an 'o' of understanding. "That girl is one of them?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "Guess so, she was wearing the girl's uniform from Otogakure Private."

"That's so weird. Sasuke-teme getting mixed up with a gang." Naruto muttered. The mere thought was ludicrous.

"Troublesome."

Or what Shikamaru said.

Sasuke would never get in trouble back in elementary school. Well, except for when he and Naruto started fighting, but then all the blame was put on Naruto, so the Uchiha looked like a god damn angel who was being picked on when really he had spurred Naruto on from the beginning. It was all because the teachers felt bad for Sasuke due to his parents being murdered when he was younger. Naruto was in the same boat as him, but the teachers scorned him instead all because his parents had abandoned him rather than die off tragically.

However, that didn't bother Naruto anymore. He was grateful to have had Sasuke in his life when he was growing up. Sasuke helped him to work harder and try to be a better person, though the other boy didn't know that himself. Contrary to what most people believed, he saw him and Sasuke as having a strong, unspoken connection because of their pasts. Yes, they were rivals, but he also knew that they understood each other. That was why he promised…

Naruto shook his head to rid himself of his thoughts. He almost felt bad because Sasuke was so smart, and he threw his future away by becoming a delinquent.

_Almost_.

"Sucks to be him."

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><p>Naruto was putting his books away in his bag when Kiba suddenly jumped back and sat on his desk.<p>

"You, me, Shino, and the lovely Hinata." He said with a cheeky grin.

"Doing what?" Naruto asked, zipping up his bag and putting it on one shoulder.

"I was thinking we could hit the shopping district, maybe squeeze in a movie. What do ya say?" Kiba leaned back and hit his head against the window, grunting and rubbing the area of impact soothingly.

Naruto bit back his snicker and sighed. "Sorry, Kiba, I don't have any money to spare right now."

"That's okay," Kiba said quickly. "We can all pitch in for your movie ticket."

Naruto almost frowned at the idea. It wasn't that he was completely against the thought of his friends making an effort for him to join them, but he hated looking weak and needy. Now if they were offering to buy him ramen, that'd be a completely different story and he'd accept their charitable donations in a heartbeat. "No way, I can't have you guys pay for me. I'll join you next time, okay?"

Kiba groaned. "Who is going to understand my wacky sense of humor? Shino is convinced that an insect is more interesting than me, and Hinata-chan is too sweet and gentle to get it. I hate that you've become so responsible!" He said loudly, getting a few strange looks from other students lingering in the classroom for cleanup duty.

A soft snort came from behind Naruto, and both boys turned to look at Sasuke who was lounging back in his chair, his arms laid over the surface of his desk as if he wasn't planning on getting up to leave any time soon.

"Got a problem, Uchiha?" Kiba asked, narrowing his eyes at the relaxed boy.

Sasuke smirked. "Other than the fact that I can smell your offensive dog breath from here? No." He ignored the deep growl that emitted from the brunette and stared smugly at Naruto. "I just found it amusing that you used a word like _responsible_ while referring to the dobe."

Okay, that was it. "It's been five years, Uchiha!" Naruto shouted, making everyone left in the classroom stop to stare. Someone even dropped the broom they were holding at the sudden outburst. "You don't know shit about me or anyone here anymore, but you're obviously the same asshole as you were before you left! So go blow it out your ass!"

"He probably can't with that ten foot pole shoved up there," Kiba added quickly, grinning from ear to ear. He hopped off the desk and smacked Naruto upside the head gently. "Let's go. You're going to make a teacher come in here with all your yelling."

"I'm not yelling!" the blond defended pointlessly. Naruto's eyes glanced down to see the tight fists Sasuke was making even though he had a holier-than-thou look on his face. It was as if he was pretending he wasn't fazed by anything Naruto had just said even though, deep down, he probably wanted to lash out at him. Naruto almost tested this out to see if it was true, opening his mouth to say something, but three other students entered the classroom and approached Sasuke's desk.

One was the girl with glasses from earlier while the other two were boys that had on the same black gakuran uniform as Sasuke. Naruto assumed that they were Suigetsu and Jugo as Choji had mentioned before, though he wasn't sure who was who.

"Sasuke, we found where the kendo club meets." the boy with shoulder length silver hair said, smiling and revealing his teeth to be crooked and almost sharp looking. It made Naruto shudder. Who had teeth like that anyway? Were they natural or did he have something done to them?

The Uchiha stood quickly and picked up his school bag, leaving with the group in silence. At the doorway, he glanced over his shoulder at Naruto and they held eye contact for what seemed like eternity. It made Naruto's heartbeat increase, and his skin boil under his clothes. Right there, in that moment, he was looking into the eyes of his best friend from five years ago.

Naruto blinked and Sasuke was no longer in the door way. He was literally shaken back to reality by Kiba.

"Come on, man, let's get out of here."

"Uh…yeah…" Naruto mumbled and he followed the other teen out of the classroom.

It was weird, but just then he could almost feel the urgency in Sasuke's gaze, like he was asking Naruto for help. But help with what? And why did he look so miserable?

* * *

><p>"I'm home…" Naruto called out to his empty apartment while he took of his shoes by the door. He tossed his bag onto the kitchen table and walked over to his fridge. Yanking it open, he ignored the rattling sound the empty shelves inside made at the force he used. When was the last time he went shopping, the Ice Age? Squinting, he closed the fridge and then moved to open the cabinets, one of them broken and hanging off its hinges dangerously. He quickly closed the door and let out a frustrated sigh.<p>

"I could have sworn I had more ramen in here two days ago." He looked at the piles of empty ramen cups stacked on the counter and kitchen table, and he sighed once again. He had to control his bad habit of eating when he was bored.

"Well now what am I going to eat?" he asked, looking down at his stomach as though the answer would be there. "I guess I'll go to the store and buy some more ramen." He huffed, realizing that he had to stop talking to himself when he was alone. He couldn't help it though, it was so quiet in his apartment and he'd become used to the sound of his own voice.

It wasn't like he was always alone. He had people that took care of him as a kid, of course. Whether they felt obligated or wanted to do it on their own free will, Naruto didn't know though he was pretty sure it was hardly the latter. He just knew, because other adults didn't seem to appreciate his presence very much.

Shaking his head, he removed his school blazer, waving his right arm behind him to shake it off before dropping it on the floor. He went back to his front door and slipped his shoes back on. He patted his hands over his pockets to make sure he had his wallet and keys, and he left his apartment.

It was abnormally hot for being the end of April, but that didn't keep Naruto's orange sweater in the closet. The school dress code was very lenient; as long as the students wore their school pants and blazer, they could wear whatever they wanted underneath (by reasonable standards, of course). That was why Naruto always wore his orange sweater, though it had a low V-neck, so he was forced to wear the white school shirt underneath even if it did look nerdy. Not that he cared about how he looked; he barely paid attention to his hair when he woke up in the morning. He might as well not own a mirror at all since he never looked in it.

Nearing the convenience store located on the corner of a street, he spotted some teens loitering at the edge of the alley across the street, but he decided not to pay them any heed. It wasn't like it was abnormal for kids to be hanging around these parts, and he'd be an idiot if he thought he was the only teenager who would go out at night and indulge in junk food with some friends, though he never did much of that himself. Sure, he had friends and he went out to do things with them. But that didn't mean they were his _best_ friends. They didn't understand him, so when he was feeling down, even a little bit, he would shun away from them. It was for the best, really. Last thing he needed was for them to think he was a complete downer and never invite him places anymore.

He stepped through the automatic sliding doors of the store and grinned at the clerk as he guided his way to the part of the store where his favorite food on Earth resided on steel shelves.

He began piling cup after cup of instant ramen in his arms until he dropped one, trying to catch it with his leg (as if that would really help), and decided that he couldn't hold anymore. He brought his items to the checkout stand, the clerk straightening so that he could begin ringing up Naruto's items.

"Oh, hold on, I forgot milk." Naruto said, dumping the cups of ramen on the counter before running off to the refrigerated area of the store and pulling out two cartons of whole milk. He dropped them on the counter and the cashier ran them over the scanner with the rest of his items.

"Is that all?" he asked in a tired tone that challenged Shikamaru's.

"Uh...yup."

The clerk looked at the blond, obviously disgruntled from his tone.

Naruto paid the amount requested, and the man automatically thanked him for shopping at the store. Stepping out into the muggy night, Naruto froze at the sound of someone talking…no,_ begging_. He turned his head to the right to see that the kids from before were still in the alley, and this time they were huddled around someone who was sitting on the ground and looking absolutely terrified.

One of the teens turned their head slightly, and Naruto's mouth fell at the familiar shape. Dark hair sticking out in the back like a duck's tail feathers…

Uchiha Sasuke twirled a shinai in his hand skillfully and then suddenly jabbed it at the boy on the ground, who flinched and let out a cry of terror. The other three teens surrounding the boy laughed (and not the comical laugh, but the kind that people did when they heard a sick joke), and Sasuke returned to resting the kendo stick against his shoulder, his face in a stern expression.

Naruto's mind clicked everything into place and he realized that the other three people with the Uchiha were the new kids at school, the ones that came to find him in the classroom. Didn't one of them mention the kendo club? Is that how Sasuke obtained a shinai? And why were they picking on that guy? They were legitimately scaring him; he clearly had no idea who they were or what they wanted.

Naruto gasped audibly when he remembered what Kiba said about Sasuke being in a gang. No way…Sasuke had really been going around and beating up people in Otogakure. And now he was doing it here in Konoha!

The boy with silver hair turned around and stared at Naruto as though he were surprised that someone else was in the area before getting Sasuke's attention and pointing at Naruto.

Naruto's entire body shuddered when the raven-haired teen turned to look at him slowly. Too dark eyes met blue, and Naruto felt as though someone had almost run up and pushed him. He wanted to take a step back, but at the same time, Sasuke's eyes were holding him in place with an unnamed emotion.

All four teens in their Otogakure Private uniforms turned to face him, and in their distraction, the boy on the ground crawled away for a few feet before scrambling back to his feet and making a run for it.

"Leave him." Naruto heard Sasuke order when the girl flinched and turned to stop him.

Gulping, Naruto quickly began making his way back to his apartment, hunching his shoulders and gripping the plastic bag in his hand painfully tight. As long as that guy was okay and out of harm's way, he felt no need to stick around. In retrospect, he should have gone back inside the convenience store and told the clerk about what he saw, but he didn't want to get Sasuke arrested. Or at least he didn't think that he did.

Footsteps echoed behind him as he walked down the sidewalk, and he glanced over his shoulder to see Sasuke and his cronies following him, staying a good two or three yards behind him.

They looked very relaxed, yet they had an intimidating aura around them. Sasuke had his gakuran top opened to reveal a black t-shirt decked out with a fade white mitsudomoe symbol underneath. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing a wristwatch with a thick black band.

_Delinquent_, ran through Naruto's head repeatedly. Kiba had been right. Sasuke had been kicked out of his old school because he had become a juvenile delinquent! Everything about Sasuke screamed "I'm going to paint the town with graffiti and kick some kids in the ass, and while I'm at it, I'll steal a CD I won't listen to and some other useless trinkets just because I can!" Well, maybe it didn't _literally_ scream that, but it was pretty damn close in Naruto's head.

His heartbeat sped up at the thought and he made a quick turn into an alleyway that came up on his right, picking up speed as he ran through it. To make things clear, he wasn't running away or anything. He was just preventing anything unnecessary from happening to him. When he reached the sidewalk on the other side, he hid behind one of the buildings and peeked through the passage. He sighed in relief when Sasuke and his friends walked past the other side of the alley casually, not even acknowledging it.

That had been scary. For a minute there he had been really scared that Sasuke and the others were going to surround him like they did to that other guy. And while he was sure he could take on Sasuke and the silver-haired boy with crooked teeth, he wasn't so sure about the big guy with orange hair, and he had a policy against hitting girls even if they hit him first.

He found that his knees were shaking and that bothered him. Had he really been that nervous? Sure, anyone would be frightened by four gang members following them, but this just wasn't like him. This was Sasuke, for crying out loud! Naruto wasn't afraid of a guy like Sasuke! Besides, he wouldn't really do anything to Naruto, right?

Naruto gulped audibly when he realized that he honestly didn't know the answer to that question. Not anymore. When they were kids, Sasuke would know when to stop. He had no idea what Sasuke was capable of now after all these years. Would he really try to hurt Naruto like that?

Shaking his head because he didn't want to think about it anymore, Naruto realized that he better get home soon because he had milk in his bag. He continued up his usual route to get home, though he was one block over than he needed to be. When he reached the apartment building, he hummed happily and patted his growling stomach gently, assuring it that it would be fed soon. However, that thought seemed to die away with his breath when he reached the top of the stairs and someone called out to him; a voice all too familiar. Slowly turning around, Naruto almost groaned audibly at the sight of Sasuke and the other three teens making their way up the steps behind him.

"Let us in," Sasuke commanded, putting a gloved hand on Naruto's shoulder and forcing him to walk forward so that they could step into the hallway. "Jugo here has to take a piss."

Naruto swallowed thickly and he moved to his door wordlessly. Normally he would say something; stand up to the bastard and his friends. But Sasuke's hand was squeezing his shoulder almost reassuringly, and it made Naruto fumble with his keys at the lock. He looked back at Sasuke to see if his face matched his touch, but the boy's expression was unreadable. He opened the door and Sasuke removed his hand from Naruto's shoulder in favor of shoving him inside. He reached down and grabbed the bag in Naruto's, yanking it out of his grasp as the teen stumbled forward.

"Here," Sasuke said, handing the bag to the silver-haired boy.

"I thought you said Jugo had to use the bathroom…" Naruto said in annoyance, looking over his shoulder to see the silver-haired teen stare down into the bag in his hands. Of course he wasn't so stupid to believe him, but he did want to call Sasuke out on the obvious lie somehow. He didn't want him to think he was dumb or something.

"Ugh, what is this crap? Here, Karin." The boy handed the girl the bag and she looked into it with a calculating gaze. Clearly these people didn't appreciate ramen as much as Naruto did.

"Why would I want this?" she cringed and handed the bag to the tall boy with orange hair.

"You guys wait in the kitchen. I need to talk to the idiot. _Alone_." Sasuke ordered, and he waited for the three teens to file into the kitchen before ordering Naruto to take him to the bedroom.

Naruto huffed but did as he was told nonetheless. He opened the bedroom door and immediately turned to Sasuke, giving him a determined glare. The teen still had the shinai resting against his shoulder and Naruto was starting to plan on how to snatch it from him. "Sasuke…" he began, sliding his socked feet apart on the floor to get in a better fighting stance.

Sasuke closed the bedroom door and locked it, staring at Naruto with deep, yet indecipherable eyes. He suddenly shoved Naruto backwards a bit before spinning him around and pushing him face first onto the blond's unkempt bed.

Naruto had to put his hands out in front of him to keep his head from hitting the wall. Damn, Sasuke was fast. But that was okay, because Naruto relied on his brute strength. He stilled when something hard suddenly prodded his rear through his school pants, a startled yelp tearing from his throat. "What the fuck are you doing, bastard?"

"Hn." Sasuke put one knee on the bed, grabbing one of Naruto's cheeks through the seat of his pants and spreading it so that he could twist the tip of the shinai harder against him. "Are you planning on telling everyone at school about what you saw tonight? Huh, dobe?"

Naruto's eyes widened at the accusing tone, and he shook his head. Was Sasuke really that worried about someone seeing him? Or could it be…_because_ it was Naruto? Not that he cared; he just wanted that stick away from his ass.

"_Answer_ me, idiot." Sasuke demanded, thrusting the shinai harder against him. The tip slipped against the material of Naruto's school pants which caused it to brush against his balls.

"No…no, I'm not!" Naruto mentally cursed at the slight arousal that was stirring within him. There was no way he liked any of this! His body was just having a bad case of teenage hormones reacting to the slightest bit of stimulation.

"Hn." Sasuke's eyes trailed over the boy's orange clad back before scoffing and readjusting the shinai so that it was pressing at Naruto's entrance again.

A shuddering gasp escaped past his lips at the feeling, but he quickly overcame the foreign treatment and his cheeks flared with both anger and embarrassment. Growling in an animalistic way, he kicked one of his feet back, hitting the leg Sasuke had planted on the floor. Sasuke's hand left his rear to catch his balance on the bed, and Naruto took the chance to turn around. As he moved to face the other boy, he swung his other leg around and successfully smacked the kendo stick from Sasuke's hand; though the action seemed too easy, as if Sasuke had let go of the shinai as soon as Naruto kicked it. His suspicions proved correct when the Uchiha seemed all too ready to settle over Naruto in his new position.

He pinned Naruto's arms to his sides and sat between his spread legs. Impassive darks eyes studied the blush that betrayed Naruto's livid glare for a moment before glancing down to his stretched legs. "This excites you?"

Naruto was taken aback by the inconspicuous sadness he caught underlying Sasuke's tone, but he quickly dismissed it with a violent shake of his head. "No! Are you insane? Get off me, bastard!"

He tried to jerk his arms free, but Sasuke was a lot stronger than he looked, not to mention he was holding up his weight with his arms. It was embarrassing as hell, but he couldn't help that having Sasuke look at him so intensely did weird things to his raging teenage hormones. Shove him away, yank him closer…his head was messed up right now. It wasn't like he wanted to react this way, especially not because of a guy like Uchiha Sasuke. Not because of his rival…his best friend. And it wasn't like it was evident that he was aroused. He was barely hard!

Sasuke scoffed at the blatant denial, and he spread his knees so that he sunk lower on the bed. His crotch lined perfectly with Naruto's and he allowed himself to meet the other boy's confused gaze. He used the hold he had on Naruto's arms in order to rock against him, pulling and pushing his body against the others. A soft sigh escaped his lips, and he was forced to keep his eyes from sliding shut at the sensation.

Naruto gasped so loud that it was almost like a cry, and he hit his head against the wall when he tossed it back, the blinds shuddering at the impact. The repetitive rocking of the teen hurt at first and the friction was making a certain part of his anatomy react without a fight. "W-what are you doing? Sasuke!"

Sasuke leaned forward to cover Naruto's mouth with his own, his tongue slipping inside the opened, moist cavern easily. He closed his eyes when Naruto responded, though it was to push him out with his tongue rather than kissing back. He laid his hips directly over Naruto's and continued grinding rough and hard. Naruto's mouth went motionless for a few moments and Sasuke lifted his head back to look down at him.

Naruto stared into glazed over eyes that put the night sky to shame. He could clearly feel Sasuke's arousal pressing against his own and it made him squirm, which only increased the pleasure that coursed through them. He was panting and his mind was numb, too far gone in the brand new sensations of having another boy grind against him in the most. Sasuke's hands left his arms in order to grasp onto the bed sheet and he immediately thought of punching him, but another roll of his hips canceled out any ideas of such unnecessary violence. It could wait, right? No! No it couldn't! He had to think properly. He had to get Sasuke off of him and…and…oh god.

He couldn't fight this. Not when his chest was heaving and his face felt so hot because of both embarrassment and arousal. He had never been touched like this before. He never felt this good, and his body was screaming for more; it practically hurt. His mind was in a fog from the pressure building in his stomach and he couldn't think of anything else but to find completion along with the body on top of him.

Sasuke leaned back in to kiss the dazed blond and he almost stilled completely when hands tangles in his hair, gripping tightly and pulling him hard against a suddenly eager mouth. _Almost_. Instead it spurred him to rock faster.

Naruto nudged Sasuke's head to tilt right so he could have deeper access to the boy's soft mouth. Kissing Sasuke felt like kissing a girl, or at least what he imagined kissing a girl would be like sense he had never kissed one before. Not like he wasn't interested, but after Sakura told him that she saw him as nothing more than a friend he had all but withdrawn from romance. At least for the time being. Maybe gender didn't really matter during kissing. However, he knew that this wasn't what a normal kiss was supposed to be like. This was sloppy and their mouths were hot as tongues tried to rule over the other. He had to force Sasuke's head away for air which was running short due to the Uchiha's insistent thrusting, like he was trying to rub though the material of their school pants.

"Fuck dobe," Sasuke muttered against his mouth, able to feel the unbearable heat coiling in his stomach tighten. "I _hate_ you so damn much."

Naruto's eyes squeezed shut and he pulled at silky hair harshly. "Yeah…" he panted, squirming back against the rough grinding against him which only made the pain of needing release that much greater. "I – ngh…I hate you too - Sasuke!" His vision flooded with white as the muscles in his stomach tensed and then relaxed before his entire body began to violently shudder as he came. He had opened his mouth to cry out, but Sasuke covered it with his own to swallow it hungrily. His body was tensing and jerking against Naruto's, signaling his own release.

Coming had never felt so good before in his life…and Naruto absolutely hated it! All because of that damn bastard…

Sasuke didn't leave him just yet. He was much quicker to regain his composure than the other teen, but he still remained leaning over him for a few minutes until dazed blue eyes finally opened. He scooted back and got off the bed, combing his fingers through his hair to put his strands back into place. He leaned over to pick up the shinai off the floor, one hand in his pocket and his back to Naruto.

It pissed Naruto off because it showed that Sasuke wasn't afraid of Naruto getting up and attacking him in such a vulnerable position. Not that Naruto _could_ attack him in his current condition…the cocky bastard. He growled at the insult and realized that he now had to use 'arrogant' because the other word would just bring back memories of this incident. Of Uchiha Sasuke rubbing his…against Naruto's…

Heat swirled in his cheeks and he pushed himself up off the wall. He grit his teeth, ready to tell Sasuke _exactly_ what he thought of him and what had just happened. "You-"

"Remember what I said." Sasuke announced loudly, pointing the shinai at Naruto and making him flinch in surprise, whether at the random statement or the stick thrust in his face he wasn't sure. He pulled it back and rested against his shoulder, smirking as he turned to walk over to the door. "See you at school tomorrow." He said in a much lower voice that only Naruto could hear.

It took Naruto a moment or two to realize that Sasuke was trying to make it seem like he had been in here "disciplining" Naruto or something. Once again Naruto found himself blushing as he replayed what just happened with his old elementary school rival. _Discipline_ could be one word for it, though Naruto wasn't going to accept that. And when he tried to move to run after the bastard, he found that the mess in his pants was too distracting to face people with.

He could hear Sasuke gathering the other teenager from the kitchen, one of them asking what he did. Naruto could tell it was the guy with the crooked teeth.

"I scared him a little. He pissed his pants." Sasuke responded, though he sounded completely bored by the thought. "Let's get out of this shit of an apartment." The sound of shoes scuffing the floor moved through the hallway and the door opened and then eventually slammed shut.

Naruto sat there for a minute before fisting the bed sheet underneath him and growling loudly. "Sasuke-teme…you…fucking…BASTARD!"

How dare he touch him in such an intimate way! That was rape! It had to be! A voice in the back of Naruto's mind told him that it wasn't, but he ignored it because it wasn't helping. Tomorrow at school, he was going to give Sasuke a piece of his mind. And his fist! In his face. Yeah, he was going to punch Sasuke so hard he'd be out for a week. Maybe even two.

Satisfied with his not very well thought out plan, Naruto cussed and removed his shoes. He'd have to punch Sasuke extra hard for all the dirt he and his asshole friends brought into his apartment. He wasted no more time getting undressed and running to the bathroom to get cleaned up, the cum sliding down the inside of his thighs making his skin crawl unpleasantly.

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><p><strong>I haven't done a high school fic in a while, so I figured why not. I love them and I'm sure other people do too. After all, I've been doing a lot of research on Japan for "When It Rains," so I thought it'd be fun to use it in a more normal setting.<strong>

**Okay, like I said before, I'll only post the next chapters depending on the reviews for this. Seriously, what did y'all think?**


	2. The Notebook

**Disclaimer:** **I don't own Naruto.**

**AN: You people give me so many mixed signals.**

**I truly appreciate all the reviews. And the silent readers. I love you guys too!**

**Is now a bad time to say that I loooove high school fics? To death. I don't care how overused it is, I never get tired of it. And honestly, it seems that some of you don't get the fact that I named this story "Cliche" for a reason.**

**For those who want to beat Sasuke up, I will be holding him captive in the review box at the end of this chapter. So make sure to bring your words-uh, I mean _weapons_ with you.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

**The Notebook (isn't just a movie)**

Naruto's right leg bounced impatiently as he sat in his desk the next morning, waiting for Sasuke to walk through the classroom doors so he could beat him to a pulp. He didn't even pretend to listen to Kiba who was telling him about his outing yesterday with Shino and Hinata. He couldn't care less about how cute the dress Hinata bought was or how ridiculous the special effects in the movie were. He had his mind set on the Uchiha. Well, more like his fist…his fist's mind. If his fist had a mind. But still, his mind was…okay, forget it. He wanted to punch Sasuke. End of story. That asshole just better get in the room before the teacher…

"Good morning everyone," Kakashi sensei greeted everyone when he entered the classroom with his assignment book and papers in hand.

…came in the room. Well that just ruined everything. He couldn't punch Sasuke if Kakashi sensei was already there. The one time Kakashi was on time getting to class had to be today. As if knowing he was now safe from Naruto's fury, Sasuke came into the classroom from the other door and quietly took his seat. Naruto growled and hunched over his desk, earning a weird look from Kiba. He didn't like the thought of the Uchiha sitting behind him after what he did last night.

"Today we'll be reassigning desks as well as consigning clean up duty." Haruno Sakura announced from the front of the room where she stood with Shikamaru. While the pink-haired girl had been excited to become a class representative, Shikamaru had been volunteered in his sleep and didn't honestly have a choice because he was the only guy to volunteer – well, _be _volunteered. "Everyone please take a slip of paper that will have a number on it. It will be the desk you sit in and your number on the classroom clean up schedule."

The lazy genius walked around the room, muttering about how troublesome this was as students dug their hands into the yellow bowl, praying that they got to sit near their friends.

Naruto grinned up at the other boy as he fished out his own paper, receiving a yawn in return. He looked at his paper and let out a loud cheer that made everyone turn to look at him. He laughed nervously and scratched the back of his neck. He couldn't help but be excited. He knew exactly what desk he was in because it was the one right below the number he was sitting at now. Now he had the last desk in the row _and_ still got to sit by the window. The gods must have been smiling down on him with pity after what he was put through last night.

…Or they were just laughing in his face. Naruto glared at the back of raven hair, biting the inside of his cheek to keep himself from muttering curses. Of all the twenty four desks in the classroom, Sasuke just _had_ to pick the one in front of him. So essentially, he and Sasuke switched places and that was it. He had such rotten luck sometimes.

And what pissed him off the most was that Sasuke was acting like nothing had happened between them. That was a pretty big thing to ignore! You don't just _pretend_ that you didn't molest somebody in their own home! Not to mention he had probably stolen that shinai from the kendo club, and he was probably going to assault that guy from last night with it. Naruto shuddered when he remembered Sasuke pressing the tip against him. Not that he wanted to think about it, but what if that was what Sasuke had been planning to do to that other guy? And he saw Naruto and changed his plan instead.

His head jerked up at the thought and he planted his feet on the floor under his desk. Was Sasuke…_gay_? Holy crap, that would explain why he never showed any interest in girls. Then again, Naruto didn't know if the boy had any girlfriends while he was in Otogakure. And he did have that one girl with glasses hanging out with him…a cover, maybe? She seemed to generally like him if the way she hugged onto him yesterday at lunch was any indication, but he wasn't showing any signs of mutual feelings for her; though Naruto knew that even as a kid Sasuke didn't show much interest in anything after his parents died.

Naruto decided that he didn't want to think about it anymore and he tried to focus on Kakashi sensei's teaching. He sat there with his head propped up by his left arm, his free hand twirling his mechanical pencil around and dropping it onto his open notebook now and then. Movement in front of him caught his attention and he furrowed his brows when Sasuke sat his notebook up on his desk. He stared at the page where notes were written neatly and he wondered if Sasuke was secretly texting behind the book. His eyes flitted to the top corner of the page and he dropped his pencil completely, his head lifting off his arm.

_Tap my shoulder once for no, twice for yes. Got it?_

Naruto stared at the message for a minute before Sasuke rolled his shoulders back. He got the hint and he hesitantly reached his right hand forward and tapped Sasuke on the shoulder twice. The other teen immediately set the notebook back down and began writing again. Naruto took a moment to glance around the room to see if anyone was paying attention, but they were all preoccupied with the lesson. Sasuke set the notebook back up and he read the new message.

_Are you mad about yesterday?_

Naruto resisted the urge to growl at the stupid question and he made sure to hit Sasuke extra hard with his two fingers, twice. The book went back down and Naruto let out a sigh. That asshole…did he honestly think that Naruto would be anything _but_ mad at what happened between them? The book returned into his vision and his breath hitched.

_Did it feel good? Be honest._

If anyone looked over, they would see that Naruto's face was completely red and rivaling that of a tomato. Even his ears felt hot, like steam was ready to blow out of them. How could the bastard ask him something like that? He had forced himself onto Naruto! He had rubbed his…his erection against Naruto's and…and kissed him…

Naruto dropped his head to the desk and stared in the direction of the window, trying to force his blush to go away. Damn it, it _had_ felt good. That's why Naruto came after all. Even if it was Sasuke that did it to him, it felt really, _really_ good. No one had ever touched him like that before. His eyelids drooped, and he tilted his head up to look at Sasuke, being able to see his set jaw and his throat move when he swallowed. He was being rather patient awaiting his answer, as if he knew Naruto needed time to think it through. Sitting back up, Naruto rested his head on his left arm again and tentatively tapped Sasuke on the shoulder twice.

Sasuke laid the notebook down and Naruto exhaled the breath he didn't know he had been holding. He glanced around the classroom and noticed Sakura passing a note to Ino stealthily while Kakashi had his back to the class to write on the board. He smiled slightly, remembering how the two girls had a rocky relationship before entering junior high school. They both had had a huge crush on Sasuke, because that was how girls were at that age, and they let it get in the way of their friendship as if he were an indestructible concrete wall. Naruto could only hope that what they had now wouldn't change just because Sasuke was back. He had a pretty good feeling that it wouldn't. Ino was smitten over Shikamaru, even if the so called genius didn't realize it himself. He could probably find the cure for cancer, but hell would freeze over before he realized that a girl was flirting with him.

Sasuke sat his notebook up again and Naruto immediately pushed aside all other thoughts and returned his attention to the other boy's hand writing. He winced when he remembered that he was supposed to be mad at the bastard, but now he was having a secret conversation with him at the back of the classroom. Somehow he was always drawn back to the Uchiha, just like when they were kids. He scanned his eyes over the questions that were already answered before he spotted the new one.

_Want to do it again?_

Naruto dug his thumbnail into the other teen's right shoulder blade, grinning sadistically when Sasuke's shoulders tensed and he arched away from the pain.

Sasuke sighed, as if accepting defeat, and he set the notebook back down, leaning forward in his chair and erasing the messages on the corner of his page. He seemed to return to listening to Kakashi sensei explain a problem while fumbling around with his teacher's edition of the workbook. Not that it was his workbook since he was one of the worst teachers ever when it came to lesson plans, so he copied other teachers' lessons. A whole twenty minutes passed before the raven-haired teen leaned back again and lifted his notebook, showing Naruto a new message.

_Want to have lunch with me on the roof?_

Eat with the enemy? Naruto shook his head in order to resist scoffing. He dropped his pencil he had been writing with and tapped Sasuke on the shoulder once. Like he was going to eat with the asshole after what he put him through. Sasuke set the book down and erased his message. He seemed to think for a minute or two, and Naruto turned around in his seat to look at the clock on the wall, seeing that there were five more minutes left of this class. When he faced forward again, Sasuke's notebook was standing straight again.

_I need to talk to you. Will you join me on the roof at lunch?_

Yeah, and Naruto needed to talk to him too. With his fists. Deciding that the idea didn't seem too bad, he grudgingly reached forward and tapped Sasuke on the back twice. The boy seemed to almost visibly relax, or was that just Naruto's imagination? Either way, Naruto couldn't wait to punch Sasuke at lunch.

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><p>Naruto ducked out of the classroom just as Sasuke's friends came into the room. He didn't want them to see him in fear that they might call out about what happened last night. Or what they thought happened since Sasuke lied to their faces because he probably didn't want them to know that he was into guys. Naruto scoffed at the idea. Nonetheless, they were going to be disappointed because Sasuke had left as soon as the lunch period started. Naruto stayed behind and chatted with Kiba, Shikamaru, Ino and Sakura for a bit before excusing himself to go to the bathroom. There was no way he was going to tell them about Sasuke.<p>

He went up the stairs, taking two at a time and avoiding all contact from other students as if they knew where he was going and who he was going to meet. With each step he took he could feel the urge to beat up Sasuke growing and it made him break out into a run that got him to the door in no time. He pushed open the metal door and was immediately greeted with a warm breeze that tousled his hair. Not that he minded; he hadn't styled it in any particular way that morning. He stepped out onto the windy rooftop and placed a hand above his eyes to shield them from the bright afternoon sun.

"About time you showed up, dobe."

Naruto grumbled and turned to his left to see Sasuke standing by the fence, facing him with his hands in pockets and his uniform top opened to reveal the same red shirt from last night. The angry words that had built up in Naruto's chest suddenly evaporated and he sighed, shaking his head. The arrogant smirk the Uchiha was giving him reminded him of when they were kids. He missed that Sasuke. That Sasuke was his best friend; almost like a brother. He was his rival, his reason for who he was today. "How did you end up like this?" Naruto said, though the wind stole his words.

"What was that?" Sasuke asked, and the blood in Naruto's veins began to boil.

"How did you get like this? You're so different now! What happened to the old Sasuke?" Naruto shouted. His fists clenched at his sides as he met Sasuke's narrowed eyes with his own glare.

Sasuke kept eye contact for a full, uninterrupted minute before huffing and turning his head away. "Che, dobe. Not everyone can remain a complete idiot for the rest of their lives. People change."

Before he knew what he was doing, Naruto ran forward and shoved Sasuke against the fence, the metal rattling loudly upon the impact, and he trapped him there by gripping onto the holes in the fence on either side of Sasuke's head. The boy could easily get away by ducking under one of the arms, but he made no movement to leave. It made Naruto even angrier that Sasuke hadn't tried to get out of the way even though he had time to. It was as if Sasuke didn't care or didn't think Naruto could really hurt him, or both. And it made something inside Naruto snap. "Do you realize how much you've fucked up your future, Sasuke? You had a chance to make something of yourself in Otogakure and now you're stuck back here in this small town high school that no university cares about! And what, you're in a gang now? You think that makes you tough? Invincible? You can get in so much trouble Sasuke! What the hell happened to you? I thought you were a fucking genius! What abou-mmph!"

Naruto pulled away from the soft yet commanding lips that had covered his unexpectedly, and he pushed Sasuke even harder into the chain link fence that surrounded the perimeter of the roof. "Don't ever touch me like that again." He was surprised by how even his voice was despite the rushing emotions inside him, but he hid it well.

"We're the same, remember? You said it yourself." Sasuke said, catching Naruto off guard with the sudden change in topic. "Neither of us have a family. We know what it's like to be alone." If he had a point to what he was saying, he wasn't going to share it with Naruto. It was like he was saying whatever was coming to mind.

Naruto frowned at Sasuke's words rolled through his head a few times, and he looked at the raven-haired teen in slight confusion. "What about Itachi?"

"Itachi means nothing to me."

"But he's your brother!" Naruto didn't know why he sounded panicked. Maybe because he was worried by the fact that Sasuke had just disowned the only family he had left. When they were younger, Sasuke always looked up to Itachi! He had aspired to be like him! What the hell happened in Otogakure?

Sasuke stared at Naruto blankly. "You should get a job in stating the obvious. You're very good at it."

Naruto growled and lowered his arms to his sides. "While we share similar pasts," He took a step backwards to put some distance between him and Sasuke. It was almost exhausting being so close to him, like Sasuke was sucking the energy out of him. "We didn't follow the same path." When Sasuke arched a single eyebrow, Naruto realized that he had to explain his words better. "I chose to make something of my life…you had to go and be a jerk about it."

He didn't wait for Sasuke to respond. He didn't want to hear anything the Uchiha had to say now. This was not the same boy he called his best friend five years ago. That was made clear to him last night. He wanted nothing to do with this Sasuke anymore. So he decided to make it final that there was no longer anything between them by turning around and heading to the door. He wanted to get off this roof and never look back again. He would pretend Sasuke wasn't sitting in front of him in class. And if the boy dared to talk to him or force himself on Naruto again, he was going to kick him in the groin so hard that his testicles would recede into his body and never come back down.

"What about the promise you made me before I left?"

Sasuke's voice was loud, and it made Naruto stop in his tracks. Heck, even the wind seemed to stop at the question, like it was waiting for Naruto to answer. But he couldn't. He felt as though someone had tied concrete blocks to his arms and legs, and he couldn't move. Not until Sasuke spoke again.

"You said you'd be here waiting for me when I got back."

Naruto shook his head, and his whole body seemed to shudder with it as if to rid the feeling of being weighed down by the Uchiha's words. He turned to face Sasuke, jumping slightly at the close proximity of the other boy. He hadn't been expecting him to be right behind him.

"Yeah, well…" he began, regaining his composure. What was he supposed to say? He never went back on his promises. But this…it was too hard to keep. He couldn't stick by Sasuke when he's become like this. After what he did to Naruto last night. After what he said about the only family he had left meaning nothing to him. He made the promise, expecting to be excited for the boy's return. But now he felt like he was being slapped in the face with his own words. Sasuke knew he didn't go back on his word, and he was trying to use that to his advantage; to get the upper hand on him. Naruto wasn't going to let that happen, though. "I wasn't waiting for this."

"You can't expect me to be the same twelve year old as before."

Naruto hadn't expected the punch even though he saw Sasuke raise his arm. And the second hit that was delivered to his stomach made him double over, gripping his middle. He growled and launched his body forward, slamming his shoulder into Sasuke's chest. He quickly leaned up to uppercut the Uchiha, but Sasuke moved his head out of the way so he opted for digging his elbow into the others collarbone.

They continued throwing punches and kicks at each other, and it hurt a lot more than when they fought as kids. Though this time it seemed they actually wanted to harm each other, or at least Naruto wanted to hurt Sasuke. It was obvious that they were both frustrated with the other, even though Naruto felt like Sasuke had no reason to be mad at him. Sasuke was the one who had screwed up his own life. He was the one that molested Naruto in his apartment last night. The memory caused Naruto to hit Sasuke in the cheek a lot harder than before, and the Uchiha stumbled back a few steps.

Sasuke pressed a hand to his aching face, his breathing slightly off from their activity though he was able to stand up straight. The wind had picked up again and it was blowing his bangs in his eyes. "You've gotten stronger." He muttered.

Naruto couldn't help but smirk at the acknowledgment. He and Sasuke were finally equally matched in one thing, though he wasn't sure if he should be happy about it being fighting. He didn't have time to make a snarky comment, however, because the door to the roof opened. He inwardly groaned when he saw who it was. Hands suddenly yanked his arms behind him and they were held in a vice-like grip by the burly teen with bright orange hair. He glared at Sasuke, but the boy with crooked teeth stepped in front of him, blocking his vision.

"Sasuke, are you okay?" the girl with glasses cried, forcing Sasuke to move his hand away from his cheek that was starting to swell. What was her name again? Naruto couldn't remember though he was sure he heard it last night in his apartment. Not that he cared.

"Want me to take care of this kid once and for all, Sasuke?" the silver-haired teen asked. His purple eyes narrowed and his fists rising.

Naruto's teeth clenched when he noticed that the teen had a flick blade in his right hand. He almost pushed back against the tall boy holding him captive, but he didn't want them to know he was scared, which he wasn't. But while he was thinking about it, holy shit this guy was going to fucking stab him!

He peeked past the crooked toothed boy to make eye contact with Sasuke who was trying to fend off the girl fawning over his minor wounds. It wasn't like Naruto had made him bleed or anything. Geez, that girl was acting like Sasuke was going to need to get his arm amputated or something.

Finally Sasuke seemed to acknowledge what the other boy had asked, and he looked at Naruto's wide eyes. "That won't be necessary, Suigetsu." To Naruto's relief, said boy lowered his hand and reluctantly stepped away. "Jugo let him go." At the authoritative tone, Naruto was released immediately.

Naruto moved away from the group, refusing to turn his back to them. He never took his eyes off Sasuke; his throat feeling like someone had stuffed it with cotton balls. Black eyes that always looked down on him as a kid now looked so tired and lost. Sasuke was in a dark place right now, and a part of Naruto knew that the Uchiha was reaching out to him. It reminded him that Naruto was Sasuke's guiding light as a kid. And maybe, even after five years of being separated at the most crucial parts of their growing up, he still was. Maybe Sasuke hadn't become as bad of a person as Naruto thought. He was reaching out a hand to a familiar light, a sensation that he recognized as safe because he wanted to jump from the ship he was currently sailing.

Naruto didn't know what happened to Sasuke while he was in Otogakure, but he intended on finding out. Right there, on the rooftop with three other teens there as unknowing witnesses, Naruto decided that he wasn't going to relinquish his promise to Sasuke. He was going to be there for Sasuke now that he was back, because Sasuke needed him even if he wasn't saying it out loud. Naruto was going to save his best friend, his rival.

As if having said all of that out loud, Naruto nodded to Sasuke who seemed to be taken aback by the action. However, whatever he saw in Naruto's determined expression he liked, and he gave a curt nod back. Naruto turned to the door and quickly exited the roof, amused by the confused look the boy named Suigetsu had.

He made it back to the classroom just in time before lunch ended. He was glad, too, because it didn't give his friends any time to ask him about what had taken him so long in the bathroom before the next class started. He took his seat, grinning when Iruka sensei came into the room and told everyone to settle down. It wasn't until twenty minutes into the lesson that Naruto realized Sasuke was not going to be returning to class. He had half expected it though.

He heaved a sigh and rested his chin on his palm, allowing his mind to wander away from Iruka's gentle voice. He turned his head to look out the window. The trees were blowing, the clear blue sky like a backdrop behind them as they shuddered. There weren't any clouds in the sky on that day either. He closed his eyes as he thought back to the day that he made the promise to Sasuke.

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><p><em>Naruto forced his legs to slow down until they halted completely, and he placed his hands on his bent knees as he tried to catch his breath. "Sa-hah-Sasuke!" He swallowed to keep his throat from going dry and he forced himself to stand up straight.<em>

_Said boy turned to look at him from where he sat. His voice held no sentiment as he spoke, but that was typical of the twelve-year-old boy. "What do you want, usuratonkachi?"_

_Naruto plodded over to Sasuke's side and sat down on the edge of the dock next to him, his bare legs hanging over the edge like the other boy's. Now that they were older, their feet almost touched the surface of the green lake water, but not quite yet. Naruto let his left flip-flop dangle from his foot, the heel tapping against the water. "I've been looking for you."_

"_You knew I'd be here."_

"_Why didn't you tell me?"_

"_Tell you what?" Sasuke asked, facing forward again. He knew exactly what Naruto was asking, though. He had purposefully kept the information from the idiot. He couldn't bring himself to tell him._

"_That you're moving to Otogakure! I just ran all the way from the Yamanaka's flower shop after hearing the news, ttebayo!" Naruto puffed out his cheeks in annoyance, looking at the seemingly serene boy. However, by the slight twitch in his eyebrows he knew that Sasuke was trying to keep his face passive. He was always trying to put up a mature front, even when he was alone with Naruto. He would learn a few years later that Sasuke had a superiority complex towards him._

"_You're an idiot for running. It's not like I'm leaving today." Sasuke looked up at the sky. There wasn't a single cloud to block the sun, so he was forced to look back down._

_The blond frowned. That was the thanks he got for rushing to see his best friend who that would be moving soon? "When are you leaving?" Naruto asked, skimming the surface of the water with his sandal. The droplets from the spray formed rings on the lake, and Sasuke watched them carefully until the disappeared._

"_Tomorrow," He answered quietly._

_Naruto had been afraid he'd say that. He pressed his lips into a thin line to keep them from quivering. When he was finally able to calm down, he spoke. "You'll come back, right?"_

_Sasuke sighed and he leaned back on his arms. "I don't know. I'm going to be starting a new life there."_

"_You gonna miss this place?"_

"_Hn,"_

"_Teme…" Naruto growled and narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "You are going to miss it here. You're going to miss Ichiraku ramen."_

"_Che, I never liked it to begin with. You were the one who always dragged me there." Sasuke said with a scoff. And made him pay, but that was left unsaid. He began kicking his legs at a slow rhythm; Naruto soon joined him though he moved faster. He always thought that the idiot had too much energy._

"_Yeah, well you're going to miss me dragging your anti-social ass places!"_

_Sasuke only smirked and shook his head a little, though not in disagreement._

_It made Naruto smile, and he began kicking his legs more powerfully. "Sakura-chan and Ino aren't going to be fighting over you anymore."_

"_Thank God."_

"_And we won't be able to go to the valley to play by the waterfall."_

_Sasuke looked at him. "Maybe that's a good thing since you tainted that place. You also tainted the school."_

_Naruto knew exactly what he was talking about, and his face heated in both embarrassment and anger. "You shut up! Those kisses were complete accidents! It's not like I wanted to have my first and second kiss with a teme like you, ttebayo!" His bottom lip jutted out in a pout and he whipped his head to look in the opposite direction. Geez, the jerk just had to go and bring up their kisses. It wasn't his fault that he was _accidentally_ pushed into Sasuke during a staring contest at lunch. And the second was an accident too!_

_At the beginning of the current summer break, they had been playing a game with the rest of their friends by the waterfall. There was a rope tied at an angle across the water between two boulders, and it had a pair of tennis shoes tied together by the laces dangling from the middle. The point was to take turns jumping from each boulder to try to retrieve the shoes. If you failed, you landed in the water and had to go back to wait in line to try again. However, because Sasuke and Naruto were so set on trying to beat each other at everything, they both ended up leaping off their rock at the same time to get the shoes. They crashed into each other in the air, lips connected, and they fell into the water with a large splash. When they both resurfaced, they began hacking and coughing while blaming the other and shouting insults._

_Naruto sighed at the memory. That wasn't at all how he wanted to lose his first or second kiss. But what was done was done. He looked at Sasuke and suddenly jerked at a thought. Could it be that Sasuke was resentful about the kisses even though they were mere accidents? Naruto didn't want Sasuke to feel like he had stolen his first kiss. He wanted Sasuke's first kiss to be special as much as he wanted his to be! Of course, all the girls there in Konoha knew about his and Sasuke's kisses since they were there to witness them. But Sasuke was moving to Otogakure where no one knew._

"_That's it, ttebayo!" Naruto cheered, making Sasuke cringe next to him at the sudden outburst. "The kisses didn't count!"_

"_What?" Sasuke muttered, looking at him incredulously._

"_The kisses didn't count because they were accidents. So if you get a girlfriend in Otogakure, you can share your real first kiss with her! Say 'thank you, Naruto-san'! Man, I'm such a genius sometimes."_

_The raven-haired boy seemed to think this through for a minute before shaking his head. He smirked at Naruto before saying, "You're as dumb as ever. It doesn't work like that, dobe."_

"_It can work that way! I don't want to recognize them as real kisses for myself either, so they don't count at all!" Naruto punched the air above his head with his fists as if that would make it final._

_Sasuke turned to him suddenly and leaned forward, tilting his head to the left before pressing his lips against Naruto's. The blond stiffened next to him, arms still suspended in the air, but didn't make any movement to pull or push Sasuke away. The Uchiha closed his eyes for a few seconds, allowing for his and Naruto's breaths to mingle before he moved back slowly and sat straight. "There. Now I officially have your first kiss, and you have mine."_

_The kiss had been gentle, but it still shook Naruto to the very core. His entire face exploded into a bright red color and he let out an unintelligible squawk as he shoved Sasuke off the edge of the dock. A hand reached forward suddenly and clutched the front of his orange t-shirt, making him slide forward before toppling over the edge as well and landing face first in the water._

_Both boys resurfaced at the same time, glaring daggers at each other._

"_Usuratonkachi,"_

"_You kissed me!"_

"_You got me wet."_

"_Yeah, after you kissed me!"_

"_That's because you were being an idiot."_

"_You're an asshole, Sasuke!"_

"_Why are you so loud?"_

"_I'm not-" Naruto's mouth clamped shut as he looked down and watched a flip-flop float past his chest. His lips split into a wide grin before a snicker slipped. Sasuke snorted, either just as amused as Naruto or because Naruto's attention span was equivalent to that of a gold fish, and it sent Naruto over the edge. He burst out laughing, his head leaning back as his legs kicked extra hard to keep him above the water._

_The corners of Sasuke's lips quirked in a tiny smile, and he reached for the flip-flop. He looked around for his other shoe, spotting it under the dock and he swam over to retrieve it._

_Naruto finally calmed down and he turned to look at Sasuke slap his sandals onto the dock. The boy kept his hand there, and he turned to look at his friend, a single eyebrow arched questioningly. Naruto let another string of chuckles escape him before he turned around to get his own sandals which hadn't gone too far. He also put them on the dock and rested his left arm on it, gazing at Sasuke._

"_When you come back…" Naruto said, suddenly becoming serious in both expression and tone. "I'll be here waiting for you. So you better come back."_

"_Are you going to miss me, dobe?" Sasuke asked teasingly, which made the blond's blush return tenfold._

_Naruto slapped his right hand into the water, splashing Sasuke. He used the distraction to hoist himself out of the water and onto the dock, shoving his flip-flops out of the way so that he could lie down on the old wood. Sasuke joined him, though he moved with a lot more grace, and settled down next to Naruto. Neither one said a word while they lay in the sun to dry off, not even when their hands touched between them. They didn't have anything to say. For the first time since they've known each other they were going to be separated. They had no idea what the future held now. They were going to be in different schools, be surrounded by different people, living in different towns. Did this mean they could still be best friends? Rivals?_

_Was Sasuke going to replace Naruto and find someone new to hang out with? Was he going to find someone else to compete against to see who was number one? Was Naruto going to replace Sasuke? Was either of them going to get a girlfriend? What if Sasuke did get a girlfriend? He wouldn't want to come back to Konoha when he had someone he liked, maybe even loved, in Otogakure._

_Naruto decided that he didn't want to think about that. He knew this was good for Sasuke. The Uchiha had worked hard to get the best grades in Konoha Elementary, and now he was getting recognized by high schools from all over. To receive an offer such as the one from Otogakure was a big deal. He was going to be able to make it in a high-level university that had an amazing reputation, and he could become anything he wanted. Hell, he could become the Hokage without a doubt, which was the special title for the mayor of Konoha, not to mention Naruto's dream job. He couldn't think about Sasuke returning when the boy had a possible bright future that didn't involve necessarily Konoha or anyone in it. Not even Naruto._

_He was just going to have to work harder here in Konoha so that he could remain equal to Sasuke. He'd have to study harder because he was in a public school, and he'd have to become stronger physically too. He couldn't fall behind even though they were in different towns._

_Before he knew it, the sun had set and the sky turned a dark purple, stars finally being able to reveal themselves to the town below. Naruto didn't move when Sasuke sat up, his dark blue t-shirt and white shorts completely dry along with his hair; it stuck out in the back as usual, proving that it was natural._

"_I'm going home." As if noticing the announcement was a little abrupt, he decided to add a reasonable explanation. "Itachi will start looking for me if I don't get back soon."_

_Naruto nodded his head, not looking at his best friend. He didn't want to say goodbye. Not yet. He couldn't muster the words, knowing they'd be the last they shared for a long time, if not forever. Instead, he squeezed his eyes shut to refuse any tears that tried to form, and waited for Sasuke to leave._

"_Naruto,"_

_He sat up with a start, knowing that whenever Sasuke used his name it meant something important. He twisted his body around to look at Sasuke who was already halfway up the hill that the dock was connected to, flip-flops in one hand while the other occupied his pocket._

"_Promise,"_

_Naruto narrowed his eyes at Sasuke. "Huh? Promise what?"_

"_That you'll be here waiting for me when I get back."_

_Blue eyes widened a fraction and they began to burn with the threat of tears. Instead, he forced them back and smiled brightly at the Uchiha. "I promise!"_

_Sasuke smiled as well, a genuine smile that Naruto rarely saw and no one else in the village ever got the honor of seeing. It faded just as quickly as it came, and he turned back around._

_Naruto watched him reach the top of the hill and go right, heading for his house. He lay back down on the dock and stared into the night sky, still grinning. Sasuke was going to come back. He had to, even if it was just to come back for Naruto._

_In retrospect, he really should have gotten Sasuke's new address so they could write to each other, but he forgot to ask and after a while it didn't seem to matter because he was sure Sasuke wouldn't forget about him or his promise._

* * *

><p>"Naruto!"<p>

Just as the teen began to lift his head to answer to whoever was calling him, a fist came down on the back of his head, making him hit his forehead against the desk. "Ow…" he whined, sitting up and rubbing his nose that had also been part of the impact.

"You slept through the rest of the classes!" Sakura scolded him, Ino and Shikamaru standing behind her, one trying not to laugh while the other found the ceiling tiles more interesting.

"Sorry, Sakura-chan, I had a lot on my mind and I guess I fell asleep." Naruto arched his back and looked ahead of him. Apparently some small part of him had been hoping that Sasuke would eventually come back to class even if he was an hour late. The desk hadn't even been touched, but his bag was missing. He couldn't remember if Sasuke's bag was there or not when he got back from the roof, though.

"Leave it to Naruto to fall asleep while actually using his head for once." Ino teased, laughing when the boy pouted.

Shikamaru sighed, and he actually seemed to put effort into it because his shoulders raised and then dropped. A little. Or maybe he just twitched. "Troublesome."

"Yeah, yeah, let's all make fun of poor old Naruto." Naruto huffed. "Is there a reason you're all ganging up on me?"

Sakura smiled politely and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear, but it fell right back into place. She didn't seem to care, which made Naruto wonder why she had pushed it away in the first place. Girls were weird. "Would you like to go out with us tomorrow night?"

Naruto's eyes trailed from Sakura's face to Ino's and then Shikamaru's before moving back to the pink-haired girl. "You three?"

"Mhm," Sakura hummed cutely that reminded Naruto why he used to like her.

"What's the occasion?"

Sakura suddenly leaned forward, grabbing the lapel of Naruto's school blazer when he retreated from her. She placed her mouth next to his ear and whispered, making Naruto's cheeks heat up. "Honestly, Ino is too shy to be alone on a date with Shikamaru so she asked me to join them. So if you could just come as my 'date,' Shikamaru will feel less awkward. Okay?" She pulled away and gave him a stern stare, silently informing him that he didn't really have a choice in the matter.

Naruto laughed nervously and knocked the girl's hand away. "Sure, sounds fun. Count me in." It wasn't like he would be against it to begin with.

"Great," Sakura said, and both she and Ino smiled knowingly at each other. Girls. "Then tomorrow after morning classes, let's meet up by the First Tree."

"Sounds good," Ino agreed aloud even though Naruto knew that the two girls had already planned on where to meet long before they included the two boys.

"Bye Naruto! See you tomorrow!" Sakura said with a pretty smile before turning around and grabbing Ino by the arm, pulling her out of the classroom as she struggled to call her goodbyes to the other two teens.

Shikamaru exhaled loudly and turned to leave as well. "What a drag."

"See you tomorrow, Shika." Naruto called after him, earning a raised hand as the lazy genius strolled out of the room. He sighed when the retreating back disappeared and looked to Sasuke's empty desk again. What a drag indeed. How could he start helping Sasuke if the guy cut class on the second day of school? He was not making this easy for Naruto.

* * *

><p><strong>Seriously, I'm holding him here for you guys to hit with a bat. And if you've forgiven him now, then...meh, you should still say something.<strong>

**Okies, chapter three and four are done, but they won't be posted until I see fit.**


	3. Like a Mommy Loves a Daddy

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**AN: Always with the witty disclaimers. Sometimes I crack myself up.**

**You people have strange ideas of torture. I love it! Really guys, I love the reviews! Keep them coming, really.**

**Please enjoy this chapter! The next two have already been written and it's up to you guys how fast I post them.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>

**I Love You Like a Mommy Loves a Daddy**

"There you are!" Sakura cried out in exasperation. Naruto had to admit that even when glaring death and all other things unholy at him, the girl still looked adorable in her white eyelet dress and sea foam green sweater with sleeves that cut above the elbows.

Naruto scratched the back of his neck and grinned sheepishly. "Aw, come on, Sakura-chan! I'm only a few minutes late."

"Twelve!" Ino and Sakura bellowed together. Behind them, Shikamaru had his hands stuffed in his jean pockets as he looked up at the branches of the oldest tree in Konoha. He wasn't going to help Naruto at all. In fact, he would probably use the girls verbally abusing him as a chance to escape to a park bench and stare at the clouds, maybe even take a nap.

"And I told you not to wear orange!" Sakura continued, throwing a hand out to Naruto and waving it up and down at his orange, short-sleeved hoodie and camouflage pants.

Naruto tilted his head in confusion. "I don't remember you saying that." He narrowed his eyes as he tried to remember if Sakura had mentioned what to wear yesterday or at school a few hours ago. He honestly couldn't, but then again, he hadn't been paying much attention to school that day. He was focused on the empty desk in front of him. Really, just how many days did Sasuke plan to skip? He hadn't even been in school for a whole week!

"Maybe if you weren't spacing out all the time like Shikamaru," Said boy didn't even turn his head at Ino's hollering. "You would have heard us say that you should wear a more attractive color!"

"At least Shikamaru still hears you when he's spacing out." Sakura added, rubbing salt on the wound. What was this, Attack Naruto Day? Why did he find girls attractive again? Because as far as he was concerned they were a huge pain in the ass.

Naruto put his hands up defensively, looking at Shikamaru for help no matter how dumb the idea was. When the boy merely turned his back to him, probably muttering a 'troublesome' that couldn't be heard over the screeching females, Naruto decided that he was just going to have to do this alone. "Ladies, please!" he bellowed, making both girls fall silent. "_Thank you_. As much as I love having both of you pay attention to me, I think Shikamaru is feeling left out." The boy in question turned his head to display his narrowed gaze to Naruto, clearly not eager to have the spotlight placed on him. "So let's just enjoy the evening, okay? I think I want barbeque tonight!"

"Naruto, I'm dressed too nicely for barbeque." Sakura whined, holding the skirt of her dress out as proof.

Shikamaru finally decided to join the conversation. "Barbeque sounds good to me." He muttered.

Clearly, whatever Shikamaru said made it more considerable to the girls because they suddenly didn't seem so reluctant to the idea, and while Sakura was in a cute dress, Ino didn't have an excuse with her blue jean shorts and lavender jacket decorated with white polka dots. But, of course, there was always one more complaint.

"Ugh, but it's all the way by Choji's house." Ino sighed. "That's such a far walk from here."

"Only seven or eight blocks," Naruto said, earning a glare from both girls. He grinned and waggled his eyebrows. "I'll carry you if you get tired."

Sakura cracked a smile and smacked him in the middle of his chest with the back of her hand. He continued to smile despite the stinging pain that now resided there. "Since we're going we might as well walk through the shopping district. The vendors always set up stands outside on Saturdays and Sundays."

"Good idea!" Ino agreed before she and Sakura began heading out of the park they had met in, chattering excitedly about the discounts they could get on purses and jewelry.

Naruto and Shikamaru fell into a slower pace behind them, giving the teenage girls some distance in hopes that they wouldn't turn around to drag them into their conversation of girly things that beings with penises didn't understand. Not counting hermaphrodites, of course. Naruto sighed at his train of thought. Thankfully, Shikamaru saying something distracted him, though it wasn't the kind of distraction he wanted.

"Uchiha's been skipping classes. Maybe he really has become a delinquent." The lazy genius muttered.

Naruto turned his head to look at Shikamaru as if he knew that Sasuke and Naruto had discussed it, or at least brought it up…sort of. But the other teen was looking straight ahead with hooded eyes.

"Y-yeah, maybe," Naruto said, facing forward and reaching his arms up, lacing his fingers behind his head. He leaned back on his hands and exhaled deeply. Shikamaru probably caught on that Naruto knew something, even if it was the little fact of confirmation, but he didn't say anything more about it.

Instead, he remained silent until they walked for four blocks and ended up in a wide street where several kiosks and rolling carts were set up. Many would mistake the scene before them as some sort of festival with the strung lights, bright colors and noise, but the group knew that this was merely the chaos that followed the great deals one could get from the street vendors on the weekend.

Shikamaru and Naruto barely stood a chance when strong hands grabbed them by their wrists and towed them forward into the crowded street. This was yet another thing Naruto couldn't stand about girls. They asked how a necklace or shirt looked on them, and even if he said it looked good, they would think he was lying or suddenly become reluctant as to when they first picked it up. Why weren't they satisfied with his answer? He said it looked good, didn't he? Did that not mean the same thing anymore?

From cart to cart, Naruto continued to halfheartedly agree with whatever Sakura said about a pair of earrings or a cell phone strap. She would smile at him and he would remember that she rejected him, and he knew that the vicious cycle would continue to play through his head until they got out of the street and caught up with Ino and Shikamaru who had become MIA in the thick crowd. He had liked Sakura since elementary school, but she had her eyes set on Sasuke, along with all the other girls in the grade. Well, not _all_ of the girls. Hyuuga Hinata hadn't been smitten with him, but that was because she seemed to be frightened to death by anything that came near her. He was exaggerating, of course, but that girl's capillaries were far too close to the skin on her face. She was always flushed; Naruto used to think she had a constant fever or something. Of course she grew out of it, but occasionally he would still catch her blushing when he and Kiba talked to her.

Anyway, when Sasuke left Konoha, he was sure he'd have a clear shot at winning Sakura's heart. He tried and tried, giving her gifts he knew she would like for Christmas, and always running to her rescue when she needed help, but it was no use. She seemed to have her mind set on the fact that Naruto was "just a friend". And he would always be her friend. Just because she rejected him didn't mean he would reject her. He would stay by her side as long as she let him.

"Aw, look how cute!"

Naruto rolled his eyes before putting on a bright grin and turning to see what Sakura was cooing over. Just because he wouldn't stop being her friend didn't mean he had to be subjected to this torture. His smile fell immediately when he realized that it wasn't Sakura that had cried out, but the girl with glasses that came to school with Sasuke. What was her name again? And if she was here, that meant…

"Sasuke, come see!"

"Karin, stop shouting."

…Sasuke was nearby.

Naruto quickly turned to Sakura who was standing in front of him, her head snapped in the direction of Sasuke's name. While he hadn't been paying attention to Sakura's reaction to Sasuke's return the past two days, he had a feeling her interest in him was peeked. So of course at hearing his name called, Sakura was had zeroed in on her target. As he predicted, the pink-haired girl sidled over to the red head before turning completely to face her.

The girl Karin, as Sasuke had said, was holding up a bracelet to the light of the stand, smiling at the way the gold and purple beads shimmered. She was unaware of the jade green eyes focused on her, turning her head in the opposite direction to look at someone in the crowd.

Naruto followed her gaze, his eyes automatically pinpointing Sasuke who was standing a couple of feet away from her. He too seemed to have spotted Naruto, and they held each other's silent stare. The outer edge of Naruto's vision faded to black, Sasuke becoming an elucidated figure, and the loud clatter on the street dulled to mere background noise. Sasuke was his main focus, and he could tell that he was Sasuke's. They hadn't spoken since their fight on the roof, and Naruto knew he should start trying to get Sasuke to open up to him about his time in Otogakure, but something was getting in his way. His pride. He was still mad at Sasuke for what he did to him in his apartment, and his pride wouldn't let him forget it. If he could just push through his own thoughts…

"Sasuke-kun!"

Dark eyes hesitantly shifted from Naruto to Sakura who had moved her way past Karin. He frowned at the sudden close proximity of the girl and his shoulders tensed visibly. He had never been that fond of Sakura back then either.

"It's good to see you're doing well. I was afraid that maybe you were sick because you left school early yesterday." Sakura said, smiling her brilliant smile that Naruto recognized all too well as the one she used when she talked to Sasuke as a twelve-year old.

"Hn,"

Naruto was about to suggest that Sakura pull back a little bit, but Karin got to her first.

"Sasuke, who is this girl?" the red head asked in an almost accusing tone. She dropped the bracelet in the basket she had picked it up from, adjusting her glasses as she examined Sakura from head to toe and back again. Her teeth were grinding and she looked like she was ready to start a fight.

Even Sasuke seemed to consider the idea of letting her lash out at Sakura, but instead he opted for the less violent approach. "Her name's Haruno Sakura. She's my classroom representative, as well as my former classmate from when I used to live here."

It pained Naruto to hear those words. 'From when he used to live here,' like Otogakure was more important than the town he grew up in; the town where he had Naruto and so many others waiting for him with open arms. Did Konoha mean nothing to him now? Sure, his crucial years were spent in Otogakure, but there were a lot of lessons he learned in Konoha too. For instance, he wasn't alone. Everyone here helped make sure that he and Itachi were okay on their own after his parents died. And Naruto had personally made sure Sasuke wasn't alone. How could he look at Konoha and not call it his home? Clearly he was the only one fretting over what Sasuke had said.

Sakura put her hands behind her back, forming tight fists that only Naruto could see. She had more important priorities other than Sasuke hinting at disowning his home town. "Sasuke-kun, do you and your girlfriend want to-"

"Karin isn't my girlfriend." Sasuke deadpanned.

Naruto almost felt bad for the girl, though she seemed unaffected by the blunt denunciation outwardly.

"Oh!" Sakura said and her fists unclenched, obviously pleased with the new information. "Well, would you and Karin like to join us for some barbeque?"

"Ah, Sakura!" Naruto whined. Why the hell was she inviting them?

Sasuke's eyes rose so they rested on the blond, and he didn't look at Sakura as he spoke. "You and Naruto?"

"Ino and Shikamaru are with us too." Naruto said quickly, not sure why he suddenly became defensive. The way Sasuke's gaze bored into him made him feel too hot and uncomfortable in his own skin. "We got separated, but we'll be joining up with them soon. It's cool if you don't want to. I know it's sudden-"

"That sounds like fun!" Karin smiled. Naruto grimaced.

Sasuke looked at her and sighed, placing one hand on his hip as if he was trying to figure out what to do though Naruto was sure he had already made up his mind. "We also have two others in our group that got separated."

"I'll call Suigetsu and find out where they are." Karin announced, stepping away from the group while digging through the pink purse resting from her shoulder.

"Sakura, Naruto, there you two are!" Ino called from behind Naruto, Shikamaru being dragged behind her with the most apathetic expression that Naruto was sure even Sasuke couldn't beat. "Oh, Sasuke's here too?"

"I invited him and his friends to join us for barbeque." Sakura informed her friend.

Naruto looked to Shikamaru who suddenly had a calculating gaze, and he followed the stare to Sasuke who was pretending that he couldn't feel it. He was doing a very good job; one could almost swear that he was sincerely interested in the tacky necklaces hanging from the roof of the cart next to him. While Ino and Sakura spoke quietly to each other, Naruto felt it was his duty to break the ice between the boys. Shikamaru and Sasuke had never really spoken as kids even though they were all in the same group. In fact, the one person Sasuke ever really spoke to back then was Naruto, and sometimes Sakura when she approached him first. He never got a chance to say anything, though, because Karin returned to the group.

"Suigetsu and Jugo bailed, Sasuke. Looks like it's just us," She didn't seem to upset by that fact. Judging by the slight blush on her cheeks and the way she tugged on the hem of her black shirt, Naruto could easily guess that her female brain was turning this into a couples' night.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm getting hungry!" Naruto said loudly, earning a disapproving look from Sakura. She could glare all she wanted, that wasn't going to keep his stomach from growling. "Come on, let's get going, ttebayo!"

Shikamaru sighed and rolled his neck. Maybe if he didn't lean his head back so much he wouldn't have so much tension in it. "Troublesome." He muttered, but he began walking forward anyway. Ino didn't waste a second before following him, and Karin and Sasuke waited for Naruto and Sakura before moving as well.

"So Sasuke," Ino said, looking over her shoulder at the Uchiha. "When are you going to get the Konoha uniform?"

"Actually, we spent yesterday morning getting measurements for our uniforms. We'll get them on Monday." Karin answered for him, which Sasuke didn't seem bothered by.

Naruto sighed in annoyance, realizing that that was why Sasuke had been late getting to class that morning when he had wanted to punch him so bad. And he had been thinking that Sasuke knew Naruto was going to hit him. At least he got a lot of his frustration out on the roof.

As the group walked the few blocks to the BBQ restaurant, Naruto learned that Karin had grown up in Kusagakure but moved to Otogakure for junior high school, just like Sasuke had. She was definitely intelligent, a little obsessive of Sasuke, but Naruto considered her to be a nice girl. She seemed to have a good head on her shoulders, which made him wonder why she was a delinquent. No one would be able to tell by looking or even talking with her. It didn't make sense. She and Sasuke were both smart, good teenagers. How did they get caught up in something like a gang? Naruto was going to have to get to the bottom of this.

When they arrived at the restaurant, they were greeted warmly by the manager who knew Ino and Shikamaru because of their dads. They sat down in a booth, Karin making sure to place herself between Sakura and Sasuke. She had obviously caught on to Sakura's infatuation toward the raven-haired boy. The setup had Naruto sitting across from Sasuke, Shikamaru next to him and Ino across from Sakura.

"You should try the beef teriyaki here," Ino informed Karin when the girl stared down at the menu skeptically. "It's the best in all of Konoha." The red head almost seemed taken aback by the girl's help and she blushed while she thanked Ino.

"Aw man…" Naruto pouted as he looked from one side of the menu to the other. "I can't decide if I want the flank steak or the tonkatsu…" Seriously, these kinds of decisions could be life changing and one had to be made with _the most_ precision.

"The steak is a summer dish." Shikamaru pointed out, having one of his moments where he actually contributed to the conversation. Most of the time Naruto wished he didn't bother. Half the things that came out of his mouth were sarcastic or made Naruto feel like an idiot. "Just get the cutlet."

Naruto pouted, not finding his friend helpful at the moment. "Yeah, but the steak sounds so good…I can practically smell it already. My stomach agrees." It growled, but no one else at the table other than Naruto heard it.

"Get the tonkatsu." Sasuke said suddenly, his voice void of all emotion as usual yet catching Naruto's attention as if someone had blasted an air horn in his ear. "I'll get the steak. You'll end up eating off my plate anyway."

"Hey, hey!" Naruto shouted, glaring at Sasuke across the table. "I don't do that anymore!"

"Yes you do!" Ino and Sakura chimed in. Yes, this was definitely Attack Naruto Day. Naruto tried not to pout at the girls who started giggling, and he nearly hit his head on the table when Sakura began explaining to Karin that Naruto used to steal food from everyone's bento boxes at lunch in elementary school.

"S-Sakura-chan, not cool…" Naruto whined, his shoulders slouching worse than Shikamaru's. Why couldn't his friends just tell stories about Sasuke? He hasn't been around all this time after all and it was a good chance to bring up his embarrassing moments as a kid. Not that he had any unless they counted his accidental kisses with Naruto. Blue eyes widened a fraction and he stared at Sasuke who seemed to be content listening to old stories about the blond, like he was reliving his past with the boy in his head. His eyelids were half-mast and he his body was relaxed.

"Then the cat scratched Naruto on the face a bunch of times and ran off!" Sakura said, laughing heartily at the memory of when they tried to earn some money by finding a lost cat. "Sasuke-kun ended up having to go get it by himself while I brought Naruto to clinic."

"Oh, is that how he got the scars on his face?" Karin asked, looking over at Naruto pointedly. The table fell silent and she looked around a bit, realizing that she had overstepped some invisible line that the group had drawn a long time ago. She yelped in surprise when Sasuke dropped his menu onto the table and glared down at her. "I-I was just wonder-"

"Drop it." Sasuke said. His face was unreadable yet his tone dripped with malice. Naruto felt bad for the girl, but he was finding it hard to focus on her when Sasuke had just stood up for him…sort of. In his "I'm a bastard now but I've still got your back, dobe" kind of way. Out of everyone, Sasuke understood that Naruto was self-conscious about the arcane scars on his face. They had always been there, though he had no idea where they came from. A lot of hateful people said that his parents had given them to him when he was born because they didn't want him. Others said it was because he was a monster, and that was what he had come to believe. He hated them, but one day, out of the blue, while talking to Sasuke he decided that he was glad he had them. Because Sasuke looked past the scars. The Uchiha didn't care what the adults told him about Naruto, or how they tried to convince (some even going so far as to using bribes) him not to interact with the other boy. Sasuke looked at Naruto and that was who he saw. Not a child that had been abandoned by his parents. Not a monster that people hated. He saw Naruto, and he stuck by him.

If that was the case, then why had Naruto been so reluctant to stand by and help Sasuke now that he was on a dark path? Sasuke would do the same for him right? It was final; Naruto was not going to say goodbye to Sasuke tonight without trying to get some answers from him.

Realizing that he had gotten caught up in his own thoughts, Naruto looked at Karin who was staring down at the table with a grim face. "Ah, please don't worry about it, ttebayo!" Naruto said quickly, waving his hands at her in a dismissive way. He looked at the others at the table, frowning even though he wasn't really mad. "You guys, she didn't know! Come on, we were having such a good time!" He looked at Sasuke and smirked at him challengingly. He raised an eyebrow in response and Naruto took that as good sign to speak again. "Besides, Sakura-chan, you didn't tell her about the time Sasuke got locked in the art room supply closet when we were ten!"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Hn. That was your fault, idiot."

"What? No it wasn't, bastard!"

"Naruto, why are you shouting?" Ino chided.

"Troublesome."

After a bit more bickering, Naruto glanced over to Karin, glad to see that she wasn't as put down as before. He didn't want her to feel bad. She was Sasuke's friend, after all, and she cared enough about him to move back to his old town with him. That was some serious dedication. Though, if Naruto had been old enough to do so at the time Sasuke left, he might have followed too. Not because he had a crush on Sasuke like Karin! No way, that wasn't it at all! But Sasuke was his best friend! Sasuke was the night to his day, his other half, his…okay; this was starting to sound like he really was in love with the Uchiha or something, which he wasn't! They were just really close. Best friends and rivals that used to compete against each other at everything. It was hard losing something like that.

When Sasuke had left, Naruto definitely felt lonely despite the fact that he had a whole bunch of other friends lined up besides Sasuke. But a piece of him left Konoha with the other boy, and now that he was back he was beginning to feel like that piece was settling into place. Sasuke, his best friend, was here again. And maybe, if Naruto could break him out of his bad habits of attacking random people on the streets and molesting boys in their apartments, he and Sasuke could go back to their old ways.

Naruto smiled in appreciation at the thought. Things could go back to normal now that his missing piece was back.

"Thank you!" Naruto and the girls called as they left the restaurant a couple of hours later, stomachs full and wallets lighter than they had been before. As Sasuke had predicted, Naruto did eat half of his steak before ordering another plate of it for himself. He couldn't help it; the miso butter the steak had been smothered in was like angels singing harmoniously to his tongue.

Throughout the dinner, Ino, Sakura and Karin became seemingly close friends, and now the three girls were walking arm in arm down the street while talking about how cool guys with motorcycles were. Unfortunately for Shikamaru, he was tangled with Ino and was literally trudging next to her, bent over slightly because of their height differences. Naruto was glad that Karin was able to fit in so well with his friends; she didn't act as rough as the other two boys in their gang. Naruto turned to Sasuke at the thought, the boy walking quietly next to him with his hands in his pockets. He was obviously lost in his own thoughts, and Naruto was curious as to what was going through his head. He had a hunch that it was probably along the same lines as to what was going through his own.

Taking that into consideration, he wrapped his hand around Sasuke's forearm. The slight pressure caught Sasuke's attention and he stopped in his tracks to look at Naruto impassively. It sort of irked Naruto that Sasuke could stare at him like that after molesting and kissing him. "We need to talk."

"Hn," That was Sasuke-speak for 'yes, we do, all mighty Naruto'. Well, not exactly, but at least Naruto knew he had the teen's full attention.

"I'm mad at you for what you did, but I decided to overlook it for now. And I'm sorry about what I said on the roof…about the promise I made you. I intend to keep it. I only said that because I was angry with you for…the other night." Damn it, now was not the time to be vividly remembering that.

Sasuke scoffed and he turned his head to look at the group that was getting further away from them, not noticing that the two had stopped. "Were you really worrying about that? You always make a big deal out of little things." He attempted to break contact with Naruto, but the other's hand tightened around his arm, causing him to glare.

"Don't act all tough, teme. I know you. We're the same, remember?" He smirked when it was obvious on Sasuke's face that he was annoyed by Naruto using his previous words from the roof.

Sasuke turned his whole body to face his old friend. "What would you do if I kissed you right now?"

The question caught Naruto off guard. How did they get to this subject all of a sudden? Oh right, Sasuke was a dick who liked to bring up completely random and inappropriate topics. Yet, instead of calling him out on the sudden change of discussion, Naruto's face flushed and he began stammering like an idiot. "W-what? B-but the others! Karin and Sakura-chan! And Ino and Shikamaru! They could turn around any minute and see!" Damn it, why was he acting like such a girl? And why was he worrying about the others seeing? He should be focused on the fact that Sasuke wanted to kiss him!

"Would you kiss me back?"

Naruto realized what Sasuke was saying now, and he felt his heart beat erratically in his ribcage. It wasn't a matter of kissing or fighting or challenging or anything. Sasuke was asking Naruto if he would return his feelings. But that just left Naruto even more confused. "Have…" His voice was low, and he couldn't meet Sasuke's eyes so he opted for staring down at their shoes. "Have you always looked at me that way?"

"Hn," Sasuke looked over at the group, seeing that the girls had unlinked arms so that Sakura and Karin could exchange cell phone numbers or email addresses or both. Finally, he decided to grace the other boy with a real response. "Since our kiss, I suppose."

Naruto didn't need to ask which one; it was obvious Sasuke was referring to the one on the dock. Even to this day, Naruto counted that as his real first kiss. But five years had passed since then, and they were separated the whole time. How could Sasuke not have moved on? Or did he always plan on coming back to Konoha…for Naruto? His eyes widened at the thought, and he finally looked up at Sasuke.

What if he turned him down? Would Sasuke go off on a rampage? Would he leave Konoha again? Would he continue beating people up with shinai and robbing drug stores? Naruto didn't even know if he did any of that before, but it was still plausible. But he wasn't going to just return his feelings because he felt like he was being forced to. No, he didn't even feel like he was being held hostage by the question. This was Sasuke! Sasuke had an unspoken understanding about him, and he wouldn't try doing that. But Naruto knew that he had to give the raven-haired teen an answer.

So, taking in a deep breath and letting it out, Naruto made a determined expression and crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not…_rejecting_ you. I've just never looked at guys that way before."

"Hn," Sasuke moved to catch up with the group and Naruto followed after him quickly. "Neither have I."

"But you-"

"Only you,"

Naruto's stomach was doing somersaults at the confession. Sasuke liked him as more than a friend since they were twelve…and _only_ him. He never looked at any other guy, or girl as it seemed, that way even though he was far away from Naruto. It made the blond frown, unsettled by the thought. He knew that after tonight, he wasn't going to be able to see Sasuke as just a friend. Not because he was going to fall madly in love with him or anything. But now he had to take into consideration that Sasuke had feelings for him. He was going to have tiptoe around him and not do anything that would make him…do things like the other night. He shuddered. The idea was foreign, but like many things that had to do with Uchiha Sasuke, he'd get over it. Because Sasuke accepted him for whom he was, and even if Naruto didn't see him as anything more than an old friend who's moved back home, he could still be there for him.

"Teme," Naruto whispered. "You come back here and act like own the place. Typical Uchiha bullshit."

Sasuke didn't say anything in return, but by the loud exhale through his nose, Naruto knew he heard him.

He lifted his arm to strike at the raven-haired boy, but Sasuke caught his fist easily. They glared at each other challengingly, their strength and determination equally matched. They had always been connected by some imaginary red thread of destiny, but Naruto was pretty sure they didn't need it to value each other's presence. Sasuke used to be his best friend, and even while he was gone and many others tried to fill in the empty space, he knew that he would never find someone who could take Sasuke's place.

So what if the Uchiha had a crush on him? Naruto was just going to have to be more careful not to provoke him. Maybe he could get Sasuke to turn to Karin or Sakura. Any girl really. Sure, it was flattering that Sasuke liked him that way, but what could Naruto do? He never liked guys before and Sasuke wasn't going to be an exception or anything.

Even if his appearance was a little girly and they shared their first kiss (three, to be exact) together, and even if the idea of how two guys did it in bed peeked Naruto's curiosity-WHOA! No, damn it. Naruto shook his head and yanked his hand free, stuffing it into his pants pockets. Stupid Uchihas messing with his head.

"You guys, what are you doing?" Sakura called out to them suddenly and Naruto was grateful for the distraction. Both boys looked at the three girls that were turned around completely, facing them, while Shikamaru remained with his back to them. He was more interested in the moon rising in the sky. Well, technically the moon wasn't moving and the Earth was spinning to make it appear that the moon was rising. See? And people thought that Naruto was dumb.

"You two better not be fighting! C'mon, Naruto, Sasuke _just_ moved back!" Ino said.

"What?" Naruto whined, rushing ahead to catch up to the group. "Why is it always my fault? The teme starts it!"

"As if, dobe." Sasuke said, making Naruto jump at the sudden presence behind him.

"You bastard!"

"Moron."

"Ice prick!"

"Dumb ass."

"Boys!" Ino and Sakura shouted.

Naruto huffed and the group continued to walk forward, Sakura and Ino explaining to a concerned Karin that the two boys would always fight when they were younger. When the girls weren't paying attention, Naruto pulled his right arm out of his pocket and roughly shoved Sasuke in the shoulder. The push was returned with greater force and he toppled over onto his hands and knees, Sakura stopping to look back at him questioningly.

"He tripped." Sasuke said calmly, ushering for the group to keep walking and leave the idiot behind.

Naruto grit his teeth, but he couldn't help the grin that split his face at his and Sasuke's antics. It was just like when they were kids and he'd never get tired of it. If they could stay like this forever he'd be satisfied. Yet, in the back of his mind, he knew that things were going to change whether he wanted them to or not. He would deal with that when the time comes.

* * *

><p>Sasuke turned and sat down on the ledge, leaning over to untie his shoes. He pushed his bangs out of his face, but they only fell back in his vision and he sighed in defeat. He barely caught the sound of feet moving behind him and he quickly glanced over his shoulder to look up at his older brother.<p>

"You're home late tonight Sasuke." Itachi said, his expression and tone impassive.

"I ended up eating barbeque." Sasuke stated as though that explained everything. He lined his shoes up neatly next to his brother's and stood up on the raised platform.

Itachi moved out of the way so Sasuke could step into the hall, and he followed him to the stairs. "You were out with those friends of yours, weren't you?"

"At first, yes." Sasuke answered honestly. He knew it was no use lying to Itachi; he had other ways of finding these things out. The best approach was to just be honest in the first round.

"At first?" Itachi demanded clarification.

Sighing in annoyance, Sasuke stopped on the middle of the stairs and looked back at his brother. "I went out to eat with Naruto and his friends." His brother looked both relieved and surprised by the information. Itachi had always known Sasuke had a special place in his heart for the blond as a kid, but they would never bring it up. It was simply a mutual understanding.

"How is he?" Itachi asked after a few moments.

"Still an idiot. I'm going to bed." Sasuke didn't wait for the older Uchiha to say anything else as he hiked the last of the stairs and went to his room at the end of the hallway. It was the same room he had when they used to live in the Uchiha compound five years ago. Everything looked the same as it had before he left; he had moved the furniture back into their old spots, and he decided against hanging up any of the posters he had obtained when he was in Otogakure. He had them all rolled up and leaning against the back wall in his closet. A part of him wanted to leave everything like it was before, like nothing had changed…as if he never left Konoha.

He didn't turn on the overhead light, the moon being bright enough to flood the room with a white glow through the window. He shuffled over to his bed and sat down on the edge so he could pull of his socks, letting them fall in a pile on the floor. He would pick them up in the morning. Right now he wanted to just lie down and think.

Think about what Naruto said, about what he said to Naruto. About the day that he really, truly saw Naruto as an irreplaceable part of his life.

* * *

><p>"<em>Hey!"<em>

_Sasuke looked up from where he sat by the fence, immediately narrowing his eyes at the blond kid standing before him. His pose wasn't cowering like most of the other kids that approached Sasuke. He didn't answer the boy; he didn't want to. He just wanted to be left alone for the little time he could at school before they had to return to class. Why people kept bothering him was beyond him. He knew what they were thinking, he could see it in their eyes, and he didn't want their sympathy. His brother had said to be polite about it, but it was becoming harder and harder to just sit back and listen to their words that weren't as soothing as they thought. Their words weren't going to bring his father and mother back._

"_I heard your parents died."_

"…"

"_You know, I don't have any parents either."_

_Sasuke scoffed and turned his head to look at the empty plant pots lining the wooden fence. He had heard about Naruto's parents. They left him on the Hokage's doorstep because they didn't want him. Or at least that was what he had overheard from the teachers and other adults. His parents always told him not to listen because they were silly rumors. But if they were just rumors, then where were Naruto's parents? They weren't dead, right? He honestly didn't know, and he doubted that anyone did. "Don't put me in the same group as you, idiot. We're nothing alike."_

"_What's that supposed to mean? We both-"_

"_I know about you. Your parents just left you, and they're probably still alive somewhere. Mine are dead and never coming back. So we're not alike." When he was met with silence, he looked up at the blond boy standing over him. His tan hands were clenched into tight fists and he looked like he was going to cry. Or he had to poop. Sasuke wasn't sure. He definitely didn't expect Naruto to suddenly lunge at him, smacking him in the face and shoving him to the ground._

"_You jerk!" the boy cried._

_Sasuke wasted no time fighting back, pushing at Naruto's left cheek while grabbing and pulling his hair with all his strength. He couldn't help but think of how soft and thick it was compared to his own fine hair. The other boy let out a cry of pain at the sharp tug, reaching his arms to dislodge the Uchiha's hand, and Sasuke used the opportunity to switch their positions so that he was lying on top._

_Naruto squirmed and slapped Sasuke on the head, arm, shoulders and back. Sasuke continued to hold his hair with one hand, keeping Naruto's head pinned to the dirt covered ground while he fended off the flailing arms with his free hand._

"_Hey! You two!" Hands pulled at the back of Sasuke's shirt, easily yanking him off of the boy while another set of hands grabbed Naruto by his wrists and forced him to stand up. By the way he stumbled on his feet, Sasuke could tell that the teacher that had pulled him up was being a lot rougher than the one that had gotten Sasuke. Even now the teacher was resting her hands gently on Sasuke's shoulders while the other Naruto by his._

"_What are you doing, Naruto?" the teacher scolded him, leaning over him and glaring. Sasuke could tell that Naruto was going to cry even if he was trying his best to hide it. And why the teacher was only yelling at him even though Sasuke was clearly dominating in the fight confused him. He had been at Sasuke's mercy; it was almost insulting not to be reprimanded. "You're hurting Sasuke-kun! How am I going to explain to his older brother if he gets bruises from you hitting him?"_

_Oh, that was it. Naruto was an outcast because he was abandoned by his parents while Sasuke's died tragically. The Uchiha's life was seen as a tragic one while the adults viewed Naruto's as a nuisance. But they were the same, weren't they? Neither of them had parents now, and they were the same age. Naruto had no control over his situation just as Sasuke had no control over his. People were being unfair…life was unjust. And Sasuke wasn't right it what he had said to Naruto before the fight._

"_I'm tired of you always fighting with other kids! You-"_

"_We weren't fighting." Sasuke said, cutting the teacher off. Both of the women looked at him in surprise and he narrowed his eyes. He rarely spoke up so he knew that they were going to listen to whatever he said. "We weren't fighting," he repeated. "We were playing out a scene from the Ryu-Gama Go! series." The teachers looked at each other questioningly, obviously having never heard of the show because Sasuke made it up at the top of his head just now. He wasn't sure what the show would be about. Maybe it would have lots of action, like Power Rangers or something._

_The teacher holding Naruto reluctantly let go and Sasuke grabbed his tan wrist, pulling him away from the confused teachers._

"_You're a liar." Naruto said quietly._

"_Did you want to get in trouble?" Sasuke snapped, letting go of him when they made it to the other end of the school yard. They walked together to a large tree that had a swing hanging from it. Other kids were running by, too caught up in their own games to see the unusual sight of the two boys together. Sasuke was glad about that; he didn't want any of the other kids getting any ideas and approaching him._

"_I guess not…" Naruto muttered, hopping backwards onto the swing, his weight making it sway back and forth. Sasuke opted for leaning his back against the tree, keeping his eyes on the ground. "You know," he said, receiving the other's attention. "If you ever get lonely, I'll be your family. Since neither of us have one."_

_Sasuke narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. This kid was an idiot. A complete and utter moron. He just attacked him a minute ago, and now he was offering to be his family? Sasuke scoffed and turned his head, his bangs swinging with the motion. "I have my brother Itachi."_

_He almost felt bad when Naruto looked down at his lap, obviously feeling dejected. He wanted to say something to make the hurt look go away because, honestly, it annoyed Sasuke. Naruto looked much better when he smiled. He would always see the blond smile despite the way adults treat him. And Naruto would always pass by him when he was at the dock, but they never spoke. Most of the time Sasuke would glare at him because he wanted to be alone, and the boy would make a face back, but then they'd both smile and return to what they had been doing. To be honest, Sasuke was sure that this was the first time he and Naruto had actually spoken. The other would usually glare at him whenever he was praised in class, so Sasuke figured Naruto hated him._

"_Then I'll be your rival."_

_Sasuke's head tilted up at this and he blinked, looking at Naruto as though he hadn't said anything at all._

_Naruto hopped off the swing, hissing when it came back forward and hit him in the back. He moved over to the Uchiha and smirked challengingly. "I'll always be there when you need me."_

"_That's more of a friend than a rival." Sasuke said, frowning slightly._

"_I can be both!"_

_Sasuke lowered his eyelids and sighed, his shoulders sagging. "You're a real idiot."_

_Whether Naruto heard him or not, he didn't react and instead held out two pointed fingers to him. Sasuke didn't look down at them until Naruto spoke again. "Let's make a pact."_

"_Aren't you supposed to use your pinky to make pacts?" That was how it was done, right? Sasuke wasn't sure, he never made one before. He never had any friends; his family was all he ever needed. And it wasn't like many kids reached out to him, not the way Naruto was. They were all intimidated by his name. The Uchihas were known for being at the top of the police force. That was why his parents were gunned down by a gang, because his father was after the leader of the mob._

_Naruto was able to successfully distract Sasuke from the dark thoughts with his booming voice. "Yes, but this way is stronger. It's unbreakable!"_

"_Unless someone breaks our fingers," Sasuke pointed out bluntly. He couldn't help that he was smarter than the other boy. And he liked seeing Naruto getting annoyed and flustered. It made him feel more mature and superior._

"_Will you just do it with me, jerk? Geez, you're so annoying, ttebayo!"_

_Sasuke was about to retort back, saying that Naruto was the annoying one, not him. However, he stopped himself. He didn't want to push Naruto too far and have him change his mind about reaching out to Sasuke. If it were anybody else, Sasuke would scoff at this and walk away, but he knew Naruto was right from the beginning. They were alone now; their parents were dead. Neither of them asked to be left alone, but it happened and they were stuck in a dark world where no other kid their age understood what they were going through. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity to connect with someone who was the same as him, and Sasuke wasn't dumb enough to pass it up._

_So, hesitantly, he reached his own hand forward and linked his two fingers with Naruto's. He marveled at the way his and Naruto's skin tones varied, but he assumed Naruto spent more time outside than he did. Not to mention that, even in his fingers, Naruto felt warm. That warmth seemed to travel through Sasuke's fingers, up his arm and into his chest. The feeling made his cheeks flush a little. He looked up and met smiling blue eyes._

"_We'll always be together." Naruto announced, and Sasuke didn't feel like arguing. The two boys merely bowed their heads a little, one grinning from ear to ear while the other tried not to smile at all but the corners of his mouth betrayed him._

_At the time, they didn't care if the statement carried any truth or not. They remained side by side as long as they could, and even after Sasuke ended up leaving four years later, he planned to hold tight to his and Naruto's pact. Until the very end._

* * *

><p><strong>Yay for Itachi finally making an appearance in this story! He'll get a bigger, more important role later on in the story. -hugs Itachi plush doll-<strong>

**Karin, you stupid ditz. You don't even remember Naruto from the other night, you're so focused on Sasuke.**


	4. Ice Cream and Gashapons

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**AN: I need to calm down with these disclaimers. I'm just too funny for my own good. (Oh god, my life is a lie...)**

**Thankies for the reviews, guys! Only three chapters and already 90 reviews? You spoil me. Don't stop. -cocks shot gun- I also really wanna thank my silent readers! I love watching the hits go up. So thank you guys too!**

**Is it just me or are these chapters getting longer each update?**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

**Ice Cream and Gashapons**

"Voluptuous."

Kiba narrowed his eyes and stared out the window for a few moments before shaking his head. "Nah, not a real word."

"No, it totally is! It refers to the sensual curves of a woman's body or something." Naruto defended from where he was leaning over the edge of the open window. It was hot outside, but the breeze was nice and cherry blossom petals were dancing through the air. He had to take his jacket off, and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, but he knew he'd have to put it back on when class started again. For now he was going to enjoy his ten minute break with Kiba by watching the other third years' PE class. Naruto recognized three of the girls immediately, one being Karin while the other two were Hinata and Tenten, two childhood friends of his that he didn't really get close to until after Sasuke left even though they were always there.

Naruto thought Tenten was a cool girl because she didn't allow herself to be overpowered by the boys. She was like a tomboy, if the way she had her sweatpants rolled up to the knees was any indication, but still had that cutesy feminine side that made any boy's heart melt. Hinata and Karin kept their pants down despite the warm temperature, which wasn't all that surprising for Hinata, but Naruto had figured Karin would be up there with the rough-n-tough look too. But it wasn't really their pants that he was focusing on.

"Mah, Tenten is still the smallest. Pay up, dog breath." Naruto held out his hand to his friend.

"No way, I said they'd get bigger by the end of high school. We still have the rest of the year ahead of us." Kiba inched away slightly, trying to keep the money in his wallet.

Naruto pouted and leaned further out the window. "Hinata's chest is still the best."

"Stop looking at her!" Kiba growled out like an animal even though his own eyes were zeroed in on the girl's D cups. The poor girl was the shyest, quietest and most polite thing alive, and yet she had the body that every guy and even some girls desired.

"Have you even asked her out yet?" Naruto sighed, looking at the blush on his friend's cheeks. Not that Naruto had a say in who Hinata dated, mostly because her cousin Neji seemed to have that covered at a professional level, but if there was anyone he knew that would be good for the girl it was Kiba. Sure, he ogled her body because let's face it; he was a teenage boy with hormones. However, he never acted on his desires and he had the purest intentions whenever he asked her to hang out or go to parties with him. He was a good guy who liked Hinata for who she was and he wouldn't do anything to hurt her.

"Not yet," Kiba admitted tiredly. "I just…every time I try to ask I chicken out!"

Naruto patted his friend on the back in a consoling manner, but the brunette slapped his arm away. "There, there buddy. You can always give her a love letter or something." He laughed at the glare the dog lover shot at him, and he looked back out the window at the girls that were setting up hurtles with the rest of the class. "Karin's pretty cute, huh?"

"Who, the girl that came in with Sasuke?" Kiba studied her for a bit before shrugging. "She's all right, in a nerdy way, you know?"

"She has pretty big breast too. Not as big as Hinata's, but I probably wouldn't be able to fit my whole hand around one-wah!" Naruto's hands shot and slapped at whatever had smacked him on his head. Blue eyes widened as he watched several papers flutter out the window and onto the ground below. He watched them till they landed in the bushes and dirt before turning to see who his attacker was.

"Dobe," The Uchiha muttered, his eyes narrowed in obvious annoyance at his papers having been discarded out the second story window.

"Teme, what the hell are you doing?" Naruto growled, ignoring the disapproving stares he was getting from some of the students that had stayed behind in the classroom during the break. "Don't go hitting people for no reason! You scared me!"

"You shouldn't be staring at the girls like an idiot." Sasuke clipped.

Naruto narrowed his eyes and pressed his lips into a thin line. He wasn't sure if Sasuke was jealous of him eyeballing the girls or if he was annoyed that they were talking about Karin's chest. He decided not to say anything at all because he didn't want to have some kind of misunderstanding. He had fully accepted Sasuke's feelings for him over the weekend; not that he was going to return them or anything. He merely decided that the fact wasn't going to change anything between him and the jerk. He was still going to try to find out what happened in Otogakure, but he knew that was going to take time. Even as a kid Sasuke had to be poked and prodded a lot before he spilled any information, and when he actually did give something away, it was very little.

Sighing, Naruto rolled his neck and moved to stand beside Sasuke, patting his shoulder. He now had the Konoha uniform which he wore with the issued tie, because he had to look all proper and clean cut to others that didn't know he was a delinquent (or at least that was how Naruto saw it). "Sorry about your papers, Uchiha. I'll go get them."

Sasuke scoffed and moved ahead of him towards the door. "Dobe, it'll be faster if I went and retrieved them."

"Yeah right, teme!"

"Just stay here and ogle the girls." Sasuke snapped, and he exited the classroom.

If that wasn't an admission to jealousy then Naruto wasn't the king of England. Which he actually wasn't, but then that meant that Sasuke also wasn't jealous. Wait, he wasn't thinking of the right saying. Whatever, that didn't matter. The point was that Sasuke was jealous of him looking at girls when he had admitted his feelings for the blond. He could understand why the boy would be upset, and he had told himself to make sure that he didn't upset Sasuke in any way in that factor. He was going to have to pull the teme out of his sour mood before it got out of hand.

He didn't stop beside Sasuke in the hallway, and instead continued at his steady pace while calling back to the other boy. "Last one there has to take over the other's cleaning schedule!"

Obsidian eyes narrowed dangerously.

Naruto wasn't surprised in the least when he glanced over his right shoulder and saw that the Uchiha was right on his trail. It was amazing he wasn't stepping on the back of Naruto's heels. He faced forward again and pushed his legs to carry him faster down the hall, making two girls jump out of the way so they didn't get run over by the speeding boys. By the breeze against his skin, he realized that he wasn't wearing his jacket and now he was praying that not only did he get to the papers first but a teacher didn't see him out of uniform.

They got to the stairs, and Sasuke was a blur as he moved past Naruto, making it to the landing between the two flights first. The blond pulled the first move he thought of, and instead of turning to get to the next flight of stairs, he ran straight forward and shoved Sasuke into the corner with his body weight.

Sasuke's eyebrows rose, which Naruto knew was a sign of shock. Heck, even he was a little surprised by his bold move, especially how close their faces were. Wasn't he supposed to _not _lead Sasuke on in anyway, or give him any kind of thoughts that involved both of them in this nature? Yet here he was, pressed against his best friend and staring him straight in the eyes. His traitorous body didn't seem to mind how well his and Sasuke's bodies fit together like puzzle pieces. His mind decided that the best way to play out of the situation was to pretend it was a joke.

He stepped back and grinned sheepishly before sticking out his tongue. "Haha, got ya!" He turned on his heels and began running down the stairs, keeping his hand on the railing to his right while his other arm extended out so that Sasuke couldn't pass him. He let out a victorious laugh as he neared the door that lead outside, only to cry out in shock when the rubber toe of his inside slipper stubbed the linoleum floor of the hallway, and he toppled forward, barely managing to catch himself with his hands. However, those only slid out beneath him and his chin hit the floor painfully.

"Che, dobe." Sasuke walked past him calmly. Or at least tried to, but a hand wrapped around his ankle, making him still. Another one grabbed his calf and he glared down at the grinning idiot on the floor.

"Wait, uh…" Naruto fumbled around for a reason for Sasuke to take pity on him, but he knew the asshole was a cold-hearted bastard. And an asshole, as he mentioned before. And he didn't want to throw fuel on the fire, but since he had already slipped up he could just blame it on getting caught up in the moment and being desperate to beat the Uchiha. Which he was. And though he wouldn't normally cheat or use low blows in a fight, Sasuke was a different kind of opponent. After all, the guy had molest- okay, Naruto didn't want to think about that. He had told Sasuke he was going to overlook it, but it was proving to be a bit difficult. So he was going to have to get his revenge in terms unheard of. "Take me, Uchiha!"

"What?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed past their usual glare.

"Right here in the hallway!"

"Dobe."

"Take me!"

"I'm not some hormonal teenager like you." Sasuke clipped, kicking his leg and successfully breaking free of the boy's grasp. He began walking towards the door again.

Naruto cussed and he scampered to his feet and after Sasuke. They picked up their race again, running around the outside of the school building to where the papers had dropped. Sasuke had gotten their first, but Naruto wasn't ready to give up so easily and he launched his body at the unsuspecting raven, knocking him to the ground. It was painful, but at least it got the job done.

"Get off, idiot. I was here first." Sasuke grunted, squirming to break free of the teen on top of him.

"Yeah, well…I meant getting the papers! First one to get the papers has to clean!"

At the announcement, the two boys began wrestling each other. They would pull the others hair or push his head in the ground each time one of them reached out for one of the scattered sheets of paper. They tried to ignore the cheers and shouts from the PE class watching them, and from Kiba looking down at them from the window. Many of them were cheering for Naruto, but that was only because they knew him better than Sasuke (though Naruto was sure he heard Karin screaming for Sasuke not to lose).

Unfortunately, they distracted him immensely, and Sasuke pinned Naruto to the ground with a knee to his chest. He quickly began gathering the papers while Naruto struggled to breath, slapping Sasuke's thigh and back to try to get him to relieve some of the pressure. Finally, the Uchiha got up, kicking Naruto in the side gently while the other boy coughed and gasped for air dramatically.

"Oh, oh the pain! I thought I was going to die! Sweet air, you are like nectar on a dry summer day!" Naruto cried out, reaching his arms above him as if to grab the air and hug it to him.

Sasuke examined his clothes and sighed in annoyance. "You got my uniform dirty."

"You'll live." Naruto said, getting up and bowing to the applause from the PE class. The group returned to what they were doing before now that the show was over, and Naruto looked over at Sasuke who was patting the dust off the sleeve of his blue jacket with his free hand. "We should get washed up." He said, ruffling his hair to get the dirt out.

"You think?" Sasuke looked at him indignantly.

Naruto rolled his eyes, but grabbed Sasuke by the arm that was holding the papers and lead him to the wash basins under the overhang a few yards away. He held the stack of papers for the Uchiha while the boy washed up, rinsing his face and hands with water. "I'm happy." He blurted out, earning a brief glance from his friend.

"Hm?"

"I'm happy," he repeated, looking out into the yard where the PE class was now running laps. The bell had rung just a minute ago, but neither of them seemed to be in any rush to get back to their classroom. "Just now, it was like old times."

"Hn," Sasuke shook his hands off before removing his school blazer and shaking the dust off it.

Naruto grinned and leaned back against the deep metal basin. "I'm glad nothing between us has changed. I'd hate it if things were different."

Sasuke suddenly gave a single violent shake to his coat before inspecting it and then putting it back on. He brushed off his pants next, then turned and took the papers from Naruto without as much as a thank you. He turned and started heading towards the door to go inside, not even slowing when Naruto shouted after him.

"Hey, wait, aren't you going to wait for me to clean up?"

"And risk being even more late for class? I don't think so."

Naruto pouted and began running after Sasuke. What was his problem? He was acting so cold all of a sudden. They were just starting to return to how things were in the old days. He hadn't said anything offensive, right? And Sasuke won the bet, so Naruto was going to take on his cleaning duty next week. He shouldn't be in such a bad mood all of a sudden.

Naruto sighed and decided that he didn't want to worry about it at the moment. They were late for class and Iruka was going to yell at them. Not to mention his uniform was dirty and he was going to get disciplined for not wearing his school blazer. Man, today was turning out to be a bummer. He really needed something to cheer him up.

"Want to hang out with me and Hinata today?" Kiba asked as Naruto packed up his books at the end of the day.

And hanging out with his friends was exactly what he needed.

"Yeah, definitely!" Naruto grinned. Movement in front of his desk caught his eye, and he snickered, reaching a hand forward and yanking at the back of Sasuke's collar. The boy stiffened at the contact, but didn't allow himself to be pulled back. Instead, he turned his head and glared at the blond.

"What?"

"Come hang out with us!"

"Dude, you're inviting Uchiha?" Kiba whispered, unaware that said boy could hear him clearly.

Naruto frowned, realizing that Kiba didn't know about the triple "date" from Friday night. As far as Kiba was concerned, Naruto wasn't on good terms with Sasuke. But the boy thought different. He was picking up exactly where he and Sasuke left off and no one was going to tell him otherwise! "Yeah, why not?" He turned his attention back to Sasuke and smiled. "Come on, teme."

"What makes you think I want to hang out with you and the mutt?" Sasuke said, narrowing his eyes challengingly. Neither boy paid any attention to Kiba's retort to being called a mutt.

Naruto leaned over his desk and met the stare with equal vigor. "Because I'm going to punch you in the kidney if you don't."

"N-Naruto-kun?"

He winced at Hinata's sweet voice and looked at the girl, grinning sheepishly. When had she gotten there? The girl was far too quiet sometimes. "Haha, don't worry Hinata. I'm not really going to punch him. Because the teme is coming with us, right?"

"What's in it for me?" Sasuke asked, turned to pick his bag up off the desk. The jerk actually had to get something out of spending time with kids his age?

"Uh…how about _fun_? Plus, I'll be there. Does that mean nothing to you?" Naruto produced his best pout, batting his eyelashes and scrunching his shoulders up to his ears. Why couldn't Sasuke just answer a simply yes or no? Preferably yes.

The Uchiha rolled his eyes, but he let out a sigh that Naruto took as a good sign, and he cheered in victory. With Sasuke in tow, the four left the school and set out to explore the streets of Konoha. Naruto kept trying to assure Sasuke that he had to become reacquainted with his hometown since a lot changed in five years. Kiba wasn't much help in denying that anything ever changed around the town while Hinata stood by and smiled. Useless, both of them! They made it to an old ice cream shop that used to be one of their hang out spots when they were in elementary school. The elder woman who owned the place immediately recognized the four.

"Oh, I haven't seen you here in a while." She smiled at Sasuke who nodded as acknowledgment though he was completely indifferent. "I remember your favorite order exactly. It was a scoop of vanilla on a sweet potato."

"No, no," Naruto grinned and put an arm around Sasuke's neck, tugging him down so his ear was to Naruto's chest, and make it difficult for him to walk as he was pulled closer to the woman behind the counter. "The teme would always eat almond and mint ice cream!"

"Oh, that's right." The woman released a string of gentle chuckles, and she turned her attention to the other couple in front of her, taking Kiba and Hinata's orders.

Sasuke looked at Naruto as best as he could in the choke hold, but he ended up pressing his left temple into the boy's chin. "You remember what I used to order?" The thought of the idiot remembering such a small and pointless detail about him after all these years almost made his heartbeat quicken to the point where it would seem that he had just run a marathon. Of course he didn't allow himself to get like that and he opted for glaring darkly at the stupid, brilliant grin Naruto blasted him in the face with.

"Yeah, well, you had weird taste in ice cream. It's hard to forget." Naruto instantly removed his arm from around Sasuke and walked up to the counter, turning his grin on the elderly woman. If it was any brighter he would end up blinding her. "Hi, hi! I'll take my usual miso flavored ice cream!"

"And you said I had weird taste." Sasuke commented, moving to stand behind him and seeing that the menu on the wall hadn't even changed since they were kids. It was the same hand carved, wooden slate with pastel pink, blue and green characters listing what flavors of ice cream the shop had, along with low-fat flavors, sorbets and frozen yogurts. His eyes zeroed in on a certain word and if anyone was looking, they would swear his irises turned red. He looked at the elderly woman and quickly said, "I would like a scoop of tomato ice cream, please."

Naruto gave him a look that clearly showed he thought the random choice was weird. Though he always knew that Sasuke liked tomatoes when they were kids; he'd never eat many sweets, and he'd give any Valentine's Day chocolates he received, which was _a lot_, to Naruto. In fact, the only time he would eat sweet things was when he was sharing them with Naruto, so that the blond ate most of it.

Thinking about that made Naruto wonder if maybe Sasuke had always had feelings for him even before their kiss on the dock. They might have blossomed into love after the kiss, but what if he really did like Naruto in a way that a girl had a crush on a guy? And giving him all those chocolates was like a girl giving them to the guy she liked. Naruto almost paled, because he would give Sasuke a White Day present too, as a thank you for sharing his Valentine's Day gifts with him. As if, all along, they had been playing a game of cat and mouse when they were younger and didn't even know it.

Deciding that he didn't want to worry about it right now, he smiled and moved to pay for his order only to have the ice cram cup shoved into face. He went cross-eyed for a moment before leaning back and taking the desert from Sasuke. "What-"

"I paid for you while you were standing there like an idiot." Sasuke informed him, walking past him to go to the table that Kiba and Hinata had chosen. He took a seat across from Hinata, leaving digging into his own ice cream without saying a word to the couple on the other side of the booth.

"Teme!" Naruto crashed into him as he all but dived into his seat, glaring at the raven-haired teen. "Don't pay for my ice cream!"

"Calm down, Naruto." Kiba said, and Naruto _did not_ like the cheeky grin he was producing. Whenever he made that face it meant he had some kind of insult or "witty" line in store. "I paid for Hinata's ice cream. It's a man's job to take care of his date."

"_Date_?" Naruto cried, and his glare darkened at the self-efficient smirk adorning Sasuke's face. Oh, he would like that wouldn't he, the stupid jerk. Speaking of stupid jerks, he knew just how to respond to Kiba. Settling down his anger, he put on his own grin and narrowed his eyes. "Oh, I didn't realize you and Hinata were on a _date_, Kiba. Congratulations, you two. When's the wedding? How many kids do you plan on having?" He felt bad for making Hinata's capillaries combust in her face, but Kiba's reaction of choking on his vanilla ice cream was worth it.

"You sonova…" the brunette growled through his coughing.

"K-Kiba!" Hinata rubbed his back soothingly despite her bright red face that could be compared to a traffic light.

"Dobe," Sasuke muttered, returning his attention to his ice cream.

Score one for Naruto; that was all that mattered at this point. Though he had kind of hoped Sasuke would find his comeback more amusing than Kiba's. Even to this day, after being separated for so long, he still looked for Sasuke's approval subconsciously. Maybe he didn't get it because he hadn't been around to see Kiba's obvious yet shy feelings for the girl develop. Yeah, that was probably it. Naruto knew his comeback was the best.

They left the ice cream shop after twenty minutes of Kiba and Naruto bickering and dodging splatters of their frozen treats. At one point, Naruto had gotten his shot in Kiba's mouth and the boy had to gulp down the rest of his ice cream to get the taste of miso and soy sauce out of his mouth. Sasuke made Naruto clean up the mess while Hinata freshened up in the bathroom, and Kiba rinsed out his hair where Naruto had gotten him good. The two loud boys waved goodbye to the old woman who owned the place while Hinata bowed respectfully and Sasuke remained silent.

They walked for a few blocks, Kiba pointing out stores where Naruto and he had pulled some pranks and were no longer allowed. Hinata politely smiled at the stories, already knowing them because she was there to witness, while Sasuke remained less than impressed by the two boys' "adventures," as they so called it.

Naruto had a feeling that what he and Kiba did seemed like child's play compared to the things Sasuke and his gang did in Otogakure, which he still had to ask about, but he would do it later when they weren't having a good time. Well, _he_ was having a good time, and the fact that Sasuke was still walking alongside them meant that he wasn't bored out of his mind even if his expression was completely blank.

"Look, it's the old gashapon machines!" Naruto announced and he pointed to the eight machines bolted together outside of a convenience store. He mindlessly grabbed Sasuke's hand and dragged him over to the machines. "Hey, remember when we were kids and tried to get all of the Dragon Ball Z figures from these?"

"Hn." Of course he remembered wasting his money on these stupid machines and once ending up with three of the Krillin figures, and two Frieza. He had even strapped a Kami-sama figure to a bottle rocket with Naruto who was determined to send him into space since Kami was supposed to reside over Earth. He had tried to explain that the firework wouldn't make it into space, and that the figure was going to be blown up, but there was no reasoning with the boy. They found the melted toy on the other side of the lake a week later, only recognizing it by the partial green skin and top half of its staff.

"Come on, let's get one of those Final Fantasy figures!" Naruto said with a grin. He wasn't specifically interested in the video games, but he loved the graphics and character designs. He could probably cosplay Cloud Strife if he was into that kind of stuff, but he believed that he was hotter than any stupid character that lugged around a huge ass sword. Though he wouldn't mind having his own huge ass sword…

Shaking his head to regain his focus, he squatted down in front of the dispenser that had the game characters and he pulled his frog wallet from his bag. He inserted a hundred yen coin and twisted the handle and a plastic circle came out of the slot. He grabbed it and popped it open, staring down at the blond figure inside. "Eh, I don't know who this is." He showed it to the group, shrugging his shoulders.

"T-that's Tidus from Final Fantasy X." Hinata explained, pressing a finger to her chin as she looked at the toy. "He's the main protagonist." Kiba and Naruto looked at her in surprise and she blushed, looking down at her school shoes and unknowingly hugging her chest to make it seem all the much bigger. "N-Neji a-and I u-used to p-play the games…w-when we were i-in j-junior high school…" Her stuttering always got worse when she felt put on the spot.

"That's cool, Hinata! Don't be embarrassed! Girls who play video games are sexy!" Naruto assured her with a grin, earning a punch to his shoulder from Kiba. He snickered and looked back down at the figure.

"He kind of looks like you, blondie." Kiba pointed out.

Naruto shrugged. Kiba was only saying that because the figure had blond hair and blue eyes with a tan complexion. "Don't call me that. And I'm better looking." he stated, earning a snort from the dog lover. "Whatever. Here teme," He grabbed Sasuke's left wrist and shoved the toy and its packaging into his palm. "It's yours." He turned back to the machines, choosing another one to get a gashapon from.

"Do you want one, Hinata?" Kiba asked the girl who was just beginning to recover from her blush attack. The redness appeared full force and he smiled kindly. "I'll get you something cute." He went over to the machine, playfully shoving Naruto aside and examining what each machine had to offer.

Naruto grinned as he put in another hundred yen into one of the machines, opening the plastic ball that came out. "Oh yeah, this is more like it," he grinned mischievously at the petite figurine of a curvy girl in a red bikini with black cat ears and a tail. "Check it out." He shoved it in Kiba's face and he laughed as well. Sasuke and Hinata didn't seem as impressed by the toy.

Kiba retrieved his orb and opened it, obviously pleased with the results as he moved back to the girl. "Here! You can put them on your bag or something."

Hinata blushed and pulled out the two round frog figures that had loops at the top of their heads so they could be made into key chains or cell phone straps. "T-they're cute, K-Kiba-kun. T-thank you so much."

Kiba rubbed the back of his neck (a nervous habit of his when he was around the Hyuuga) and grinned, a slight tinge of color on his own cheeks at the girl's acceptance of his gifts.

Naruto turned around in time to see Sasuke chuck something into the recyclable wastes bin, and his heart sank when he realized that it was the plastic container with the Tidus figure. Maybe he had grown out of those kinds of things, but he didn't have to throw it away like that. He looked back at his cat girl figurine and closed it up in its plastic bubble, putting it away in his bag. He wasn't sure what he was going to do with it, really. Maybe put it on his windowsill or next to his alarm clock, or something.

The group continued walking, Naruto trying not to make eye contact with Sasuke because he still felt a bit hurt that the guy would throw away his gift. He didn't even notice when pale blue eyes turned to look at him.

"N-Naruto-kun," Hinata said quietly, receiving all three boys' attention rather than just the one she called. "Are you okay?"

Naruto almost blushed at being caught sulking and he quickly began laughing. "What? Of course I'm okay, Hinata! Don't be silly. Hey, look at that!" He pointed at the large blue photo booth up ahead of them and ran forward. "Guys, let's take a picture!"

His smile faltered slightly when he realized that Sasuke was texting on his cell phone rather than paying attention to him. He was probably talking to Suigetsu or Karin or that other guy in his gang. Were they really more important than becoming reacquainted with his old friends and hometown? He decided to push the thoughts out of his head, making a mental note to punch Sasuke later. "Come on, teme!" he shouted.

The Uchiha looked at him, and then diverted his eyes to the photo booth behind him. "No." He said calmly, finishing his text before putting his phone away. He had barely gotten it into his pocket before he was suddenly pulled forward by the blond boy.

"Take that stick out your ass! We're taking a picture together!" Naruto took his and Sasuke's bags, dropping them at Kiba's feet and ordering him to watch them. He shoved Sasuke inside the booth and pulled the black curtain shut behind them. He inserted the requested amount of yen and looked up at the menu screen, choosing a simple design to frame the photos. The others were too girly, romantic or meant for holidays. "You better get into this, teme. I want to tell a story with these pictures. Two best friends reunited after five years, such a tear jerker, ttebayo!"

"Dobe," Sasuke grumbled as his hand was forced up and Naruto bent his fingers down so he was making a peace sign.

"Smile at the camera, bastard." Naruto said before putting up his own piece sign and pressing his cheek against Sasuke's. Their faces were squished together in the picture, but Naruto didn't care because Sasuke looked hilarious. The corner right corner of his mouth had been turned down in a frown, but Naruto's cheek made his left side turn upwards. "Okay, next one! Let's go!"

Naruto suddenly turned to face him and pulled Sasuke forward by his shoulders, pressing their foreheads together gently. He closed his eyes and grinned, inhaling the spicy cologne that Sasuke wore. It made his head swim, and he had to use all of his will power to pull away from the other boy when the picture had been taken. He would have to ask what Sasuke used later, because he smelled really good. He wouldn't mind spraying it on his pillow and burying his face in it every night. Or he could just have Sasuke sleep next to him- whoa, wait, how did that thought get in his head? Bad mind! Bad! "Uh…" He felt his face heat up from the way Sasuke was staring at him. "What next…?"

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, watching him carefully.

"C'mon, smile for once, teme!" Naruto growled, draping his arm over his friend's shoulder casually and leaning forward a bit. "Say hi!" The picture was taken while he was speaking, so he was sure that his mouth was opened for it. Not that he cared. "Last one! Let's make it count!"

Sasuke barely had any time to prepare for the hug, Naruto's upper half pressing against shoulder with almost all of his weight. He had to grip onto the arm on front of him for support and he glared at it in annoyance.

"Photo bomb!" Kiba called as he ducked into the booth.

The camera flashed, revealing that it had taken a picture of Naruto shouting and pulling at Kiba's hair, and a pair of black eyes glaring at the two loud boys to the right.

"Damn it, Kiba, that was our last shot! We were telling a story!" Naruto growled as he shoved Kiba out of the booth, following him. Sasuke stepped out much more gracefully than the other two, fixing his uniform and hair.

"And I gave it a happy ending. You should be thanking me."

The boys continued to bicker until Hinata quietly informed them that Sasuke was leaving. Naruto pushed away from his friends quickly, calling after the boy.

"He forgot his pictures." Kiba stated, grabbing the photograph paper that had four squares with their pictures on them surrounded by a green border. He studied them for a moment before his eyes widened a bit. "Whoa."

There, in the second picture, Naruto and Sasuke had their foreheads pressed together and their eyes shut, one smiling wide while the other had the corner of their mouth up turned slightly. Was Uchiha Sasuke _smiling_? And in the next picture too, Naruto had his arm around Sasuke with an opened mouth while the Uchiha had the small hint of a smile on his lips, his eyes trained on the boy next to him.

Kiba looked up at the two boys a few yards ahead, Naruto pulling on Sasuke's arm while the other looked annoyed at the feeble attempts to be pulled back into the group. He averted his gaze to the photos again, and then back at the boys before frowning. It was almost as if Sasuke… "Hinata, it's getting late. I'll take you home." He said calmly.

"O-okay…" Hinata agreed, not quite sure why Kiba's mood had changed so suddenly.

"Hey, blondie!" Kiba yelled across the space between them.

Naruto stopped pulling on Sasuke for a moment, not letting go of him, and glared at Kiba. "I told you to stop calling me that, dog breath!"

"Shut up! I'm taking Hinata home!"

Naruto pouted slightly, blaming the guy next to him for the abrupt ending to their friendly gathering. "Okay! Remember to wear protection!"

"Fuck you, Naruto!" Kiba growled and ushered the blushing Hinata away who was too stunned to move on her own. He was going to kill Naruto for that at school tomorrow. After he gave him the pictures.

"See what you did, teme? You made them leave." Naruto huffed, allowing Sasuke to walk ahead and following.

"I didn't ask you to come after me." Sasuke deadpanned, stuffing his hands into the pocket of his school pants. His bag rested on his right shoulder, and the weight of it made him wonder when Naruto was going to realize that he had forgotten his bag. When they walked another two blocks, he decided to show some mercy. "You left your bag, idiot."

"Crap! Wait here, please! Don't move, teme, or I'll kick your ass!" Naruto took off in the direction they had come from, running as fast as his legs would carry him.

And what does a Sasuke do when a Naruto tells him not to move? He keeps walking, of course. Or he would have, if he hadn't noticed the playground that was right next to him. He furrowed his eyebrows, clearly remembering the cherry blossom tree next to the metal slide. But was it always on this side of town? He could have sworn it was across from a video rental store or something. He checked in the opposite direction, but there was nothing there but a news stand. Had it been torn down? Maybe some things did change in this town. Well, of course they did, he wasn't dumb. He just hadn't expected a place like the video rental store to disappear. They probably moved locations or something; they couldn't be gone for good.

He and Naruto used to always beg Itachi to get one-day-rental horror movies. Well, Naruto used to beg while Sasuke stood behind him and had a staring contest with his brother. His musings were cut short when Naruto returned with his bag slung over his shoulder.

"Wow, I didn't expect you to wait, actually." He laughed.

"What happened to the video store that was here?" Sasuke asked, ignoring Naruto's comment.

Naruto looked at the news stand in confusion before smiling. "You remember that? Yeah, they moved to the other side of town. I rarely go anymore, it's such a far walk." He turned around and his smile widened. "It's the park we used to play in. They got rid of the swings though. It's a bummer. Come on!" He grabbed Sasuke's wrist and pulled him into the abandoned park. Not many kids played in it because it was in a commercial area. They mostly occupied it on the weekends when their mothers were shopping. Naruto let go of Sasuke to climb up the steps of the slide, ushering for Sasuke to come up as well.

"Dobe, we're bigger now. We can't both fit up there." Sasuke said reasonably.

"Shut up, teme. We'll make it work. We always do." He stared at Sasuke for a minute before blushing and looking away. The way he had said that just now almost made it seem like he was referring to Sasuke's feelings for him. Well, to him it did. He wasn't sure how Sasuke took it. But it was true; they always managed to work out a solution in the end. They would find a way to remain best friends forever, no matter how differently they felt about each other.

The slide wobbled slightly under Sasuke's added weight, and Naruto gripped the faded green edges of it to keep from descending down the slope that was covered in petals from the giant cherry blossom tree. As kids they used to call this 'Sakura's Slide' because of her name. He chuckled at the thought, earning a look from Sasuke who seemed content with remaining on the ladder.

"I was remembering from when we were younger and used to play here. I used to treat Sakura like a princess, and this slide was her castle. Remember? And I was her knight in shining armor." He glared at Sasuke suddenly and folded his arms. "But she was so set on you being her prince, and even though I rescued her from the fire breathing dragon, she only wanted to marry you!"

"The dragon wasn't real." Sasuke said calmly, removing a petal that landed on his shoulder. He peeked back at Naruto and sighed at the pout on his lips, clearly upset that Sasuke wasn't reliving their childhood memories with him. "I tried to convince her to marry you that one time."

Naruto grinned at the memory of Sasuke pulling Sakura off to the side one day. Everyone thought they were going to kiss, which had made their friend Lee burst into tears because 'his lovely flower petal was being stolen by another man'. Naruto found out a few days later that Sasuke had been telling her he didn't want to marry her and that she should move on. Apparently he had suggested marrying Naruto since he had 'saved her from the dragon,' but when she refused he didn't try again; probably because he had already liked Naruto at the time and didn't want to pair him with a girl.

Naruto winced at the thought. So many times as kids he pronounced his 'love' for Sakura right in front of Sasuke. If the Uchiha had liked him all that time, then that must have been like a knife to the heart. Peeking at the boy, his mouth began moving without his consent. "Yeah, and I thought that once you were out of the picture Sakura would give up on you and return my feelings."

Sasuke's eyes averted to the top of the slide where Naruto was sitting, picking at the petals that had collected there and putting them in a pile.

Naruto joined him, electricity shooting through his veins when their hands brushed. That was weird; probably just static shock or something. "Boy was I wrong."

"She rejected you." It wasn't a question.

"About thirty times. But whatever, I'm fine just being friends with her. And I've thought about it logically, too." He leaned his head back to greet the gentle breeze, enjoying the cool air. "She tends to drive me crazy as a friend, so it would only be worse if we were a couple, right? I don't want to be in a stressful relationship. I want someone I can go to the movies with, maybe get ice cream; someone who I can just hang out with, be friends first and lovers second. I don't have the money to adorn a girl with surprise gifts, or the creativity to bring her to different places for dates. I need someone who won't mind falling into a routine with me. You know, someone like…" But he couldn't finish his sentence.

How could he? Here he was rambling on about what kind of girl he wanted to be in a relationship with, and a guy who liked him as more than a friend was right there. He could be so cruel without even realizing it sometimes. He bit his bottom lip and looked away from the other teenage. It wasn't helping that his mind was informing him that he could find all those things he listed in Sasuke.

Sasuke was a boy, so he'd be fine with not receiving spontaneous presents or going on dreamy dates. He'd be content with hanging out at just his house or Naruto's; heck, he'd probably prefer that than going out. And money wasn't an option with him.

The air was heavy between them, and Naruto knew exactly what Sasuke was thinking. It was the same thing he was. Inside, Sasuke was probably shouting, "Hello? I'm right here! I'm all those things you want!" And it was true. But…they had been friends since they were kids. Not to mention they were both guys. How could that even work? Well, he knew it could work; he wasn't that much of an idiot. But…him and Sasuke?

"Talk to me, Sasuke." Naruto said quietly, flicking the pile they had made so that the petals landed on Sasuke's uniform. He wanted the Uchiha to open up to him about his years spent growing up in Otogakure. He didn't want to have to ask. He didn't want to have to force it out of him. He wanted to shine a light into the dark, and wade through the depths to bring the old Sasuke back.

However, it seemed that Sasuke wasn't looking for the help of a friend, nor did he seem to appreciate Naruto's attempt to change the subject. "You'll never want me the way I want you."

The wind picked up and rushed past them, making it hard for Naruto to see Sasuke's eyes because he bangs were in the way. Didn't Naruto say on Saturday that he wasn't rejecting Sasuke? How could he possibly know that Naruto would _never_ want him back? These Uchihas could be so dramatic. Sure, Naruto didn't really have any plans to fall in love with Sasuke; he was hoping to introduce him to some girls and show him that he didn't know what he was missing out on. But still, he only confessed his feelings for Naruto a day or two ago. How could Sasuke possible expect him to return his love so soon? And it wasn't like Naruto had said otherwise-

"_I'm glad nothing between us has changed. I'd hate it if things were different."_

Oh…he kind of did, didn't he? Well now he felt like a big dumb ass.

Why couldn't they just move on from this? Naruto wanted to help free Sasuke from his rebellious, delinquent past, not hurt his feelings or make things even more complicated. Damn it, and why did Sasuke have to like him anyway? Why couldn't he fall in love with some hot babe that Naruto would be jealous of, and they could still go on being best friends? Stupid Uchiha bastard!

"Fuck you, Sasuke!" Naruto shouted, glaring at the other boy who raised an eyebrow in response. "You think you're so tough 'cause you're in a gang, and-and you molest me in my apartment, and you said you liked me as more than a friend! Fuck you!"

Sasuke snorted and turned his face away from the wind, only Naruto didn't allow that. He grabbed Sasuke by his tie and pulled him forward, pressing their foreheads together so he could glare into his eyes.

"Why me?"

Sasuke almost scoffed, like he felt he didn't need to give an answer. But at the same time, he knew Naruto needed one like humans needed oxygen. "Because it's you."

Because Naruto never betrayed him like his brother. Because Naruto never abandoned him like his parents. Because Naruto always looked at him with a smile and made him feel better about everything, unlike the other kids that surrounded him. Because whenever he reached out a hand for somebody, Naruto was there to grab it. And the only person he ever cared about, even after moving to Otogakure, was Naruto.

The blond narrowed his eyes, trying to think of how to respond to the abrupt tone Sasuke used. But he couldn't. All he could do was sigh and loosen his hand on the boy's tie. He wished he could read minds; it would certainly come in handy right now with Sasuke. The boy was so secretive about his feelings and it would take Naruto days, sometimes months to figure out what was bothering him. Sasuke just didn't like opening up, even when they were kids he was like that.

Yet, Sasuke had confessed that he liked Naruto. He had taken a step into the unknown, stepped out of his comfort zone to reveal a secret that he had been carrying with him for five years. And Naruto had inadvertently scorned him.

Maybe he had to see it from Sasuke's point of view. They were always together as kids, watching each other's backs and protecting them. And they even kissed (three times). Perhaps it was inevitable for one of them to fall in love with the other. Heck, maybe if Sasuke had never left, Naruto would also feel the same. Or…Naruto could still feel the same.

Sasuke said he liked him as more than a friend, and yet he was able to go on treating Naruto like an idiot and insulting him. Naruto was looking too deeply into this. They could be more than just friends without having to change their routine or act differently around each other. Just because they loved each other didn't mean everything had to change. Wait, love? Did Naruto love Sasuke? He knew he loved him as a friend, that would never change, but did he love him romantically?

He could try. He could see him and Sasuke being closer than normal friends, that was for sure. So if he just gave it a chance, view Sasuke the same way he viewed Naruto; _want_ Sasuke like Sasuke wanted him. He didn't really mind kissing Sasuke back then; or even that time in his apartment. And no matter how mad he was at Sasuke for molesting him, it had still felt good. Really good. He did come after all. His face heated at the thought and he pulled back a bit from Sasuke.

Naruto swallowed to keep his throat from going dry, and he licked his lips. "Sasuke…" He mentally cursed for his voice sounding so weak. Damn it, how did one go about using their mouth again? "You…um…I want you to kiss me. Like that time on the dock."

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly, but he didn't let his shock show. He swore to whatever higher power that was watching them right now, if Naruto was messing with him, he was going to paint the cherry blossoms red with the idiot's blood. With that thought in mind, Sasuke parted his lips slightly and leaned forward.

Naruto closed his eyes in anticipation, waiting for the kiss to come. He knew that his body was tense, but that was only because this kiss was most likely going to determine whether or not he wanted to try taking things further with Sasuke. If it didn't work out in the end, they could just go back to being friends, right? That was how he saw it, at least.

So close, he could feel Sasuke's breath fan out on his face when he exhaled and smell the Uchiha's intoxicating cologne. Just a bit further and their lips would touch, their friendship would evolve, and their lives would change. Just one more inch…half an inch…less than a centimeter…

"Brat, is that you?"

* * *

><p><strong>Yes, I totally just pulled a cliffy. And right before a kiss too! I can be so mean.<strong>

**Insert one of my favorite characters of all time! I'm sure you can all guess who he is.**

**This chapter was supposed to have another flashback, but I kind of just mentioned them instead of writing them out. I'm lazy like that.**


	5. Lips

**Disclaimer: I lay no claims to Naruto.**

**AN: Thank you for all the reviews guys! I feel bad about the cliffy, and you guys were just awesome about reviewing so I decided to reward you! You'll have to read to the end of the chapter to get it.**

**Ohmigosh, I was done with this chapter and ready to post it, but I let my friend peek at it first, and she said I should write out one of the flashbacks rather than just mention it. So the flashback is more for her than anything.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Five<strong>

**Lips**

Naruto jerked back so fast that he lost his balance, and before he knew it, he was falling down the slide and landing in the mulch-covered ground of the park. He winced at the uncomfortable position his head landed in, and quickly sat up. He was going to kill whoever just called out to them, especially for calling him a brat. He was going to gut them alive and hang them from a tree by their small intestines. He was going to slit their throat and make them drink their own blood, which was going to be recycling through the damn cut in their throat. Turning around, he narrowed his eyes at the tall figure standing on the other side of the posts surrounding the park. He was going to…

Grin from ear to ear and get up faster than starving lion chasing a zebra. "Pervert!"

"I told you to stop calling me that." Jiraiya grumbled before he found himself with an arm full of blond teenager. "Hey there, kid."

"When did you get back?" Naruto asked the older man excitedly as he was swung around briefly and then set back on the ground. The smile on his face never faltered. He saw Jiraiya as a sort of father figure, or maybe a perverted uncle. Either way, he was important in Naruto's life because he pulled him out of the rut Naruto had fallen into after Sasuke left Konoha. Not to mention he was an important key to Naruto's past.

"Today, actually. And just in time for Golden Week too. Pretty good, eh?" Jiraiya said, his gaze averting to the area behind Naruto.

The boy followed his stare, and his breath hitched at the death glare Sasuke was directing at them. Crap, now he was embarrassed and self-conscious about the fact that he was about to let Sasuke kiss him. Trying to play off the subject to get rid of the blush on his cheeks, Naruto waved at the brooding teenager still standing on the slide's ladder. "Teme, get over here! I want you to meet someone!"

Sasuke begrudgingly climbed down the slide and walked over to the two men, shoving his hands inside his pockets so they couldn't see he had them in fists. He wanted to punch the old geezer so badly for interrupting them.

"This is the pervert who took care of me after you left. Perv, this is Sasuke-teme." Naruto grinned as he looked between the two.

Jiraiya seemed initially surprised by the introduction, but he recovered quickly. "Oh, this is the 'teme' I've heard so much about." At Sasuke's arched eyebrow, he grinned mischievously and hooked his arm around Naruto's neck. "This guy wouldn't shut up about you for three years. Every day, it was 'teme said this' and 'teme did that'. After a while it got annoying."

"Stupid pervert, what are you saying?" Naruto squawked, wriggling to break free from Jiraiya's hold on him. "It wasn't for three years!"

Jiraiya tilted his head back as though he was in deep thought, skillfully avoiding Naruto's flailing arms and legs. "Hm, let's see. I met you when you were thirteen, and you didn't stop talking about him until a few months after your sixteenth birthday which is when I went on my trip."

Naruto's face heated and he glared at Sasuke who was making it painfully obvious that he was interested in Naruto's secret obsession over him. "I-it's not what you think! Pervert, you always make things sound weird, ttebayo!"

"It's not my fault you have a crush on the kid."

If Naruto's face got any redder, he'd have to start challenging Hinata to a blushing match. "I don't have a crush on him! Stop lying!"

Jiraiya finally released the teenager, but that didn't mean he was done torturing him. "Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot you were head over heels for him. I keep telling you that you're too young to be in love."

"Damn it, you old perv!" Naruto shrieked, thumping his fists against the older man's broad chest. Damn him for being a fit old guy! The guy was almost fifty-five and he was still traveling the world, hiking in the Rockies in Colorado, swimming in the Dead Sea in Jordan, visiting villages in Africa. He did it all for research for his books that sold in over twenty different countries, but that wasn't how he earned his title of being the biggest pervert alive. No, Naruto knew the truth. Because while Jiraiya raked in the big cash with his worldly travel books, he made some extra money on the side by selling pornographic novels called the Icha Icha Paradise series. Not to mention that while he was on his trips, he visited every brothel in the area. He was such a huge pervert, chasing skirt whenever he returned to Konoha after doing god knows what in all those other countries. And to make things worse, he always flirted with principal of his school, Tsunade! Apparently her punching his lights out meant she 'liked' him in his delusional head. Perhaps she punched him a little too hard, knocked a few bolts loose in his head.

He was the absolute worst when it came to women, but Naruto still appreciated having him around. He taught Naruto how to fight better, and how to rationalize his money. He gave the boy checks for his birthday each year, but there would also be a list of what Naruto could spend the money on. It was annoying, but he was only trying to prepare him for life out of school. He had even tutored Naruto so that he could pass his entrance exams for Konoha High. Naruto had originally planned to half-ass it, but Jiraiya wouldn't let that happen.

Above all, Jiraiya had been his father's teacher when he was in high school. He knew stories about Naruto's parents that no one else did, and he indulged Naruto in what he could. Unfortunately, Jiraiya had left for one of his 'around-the-world' trips when Naruto's mother was pregnant with him and he didn't return until a year later when Naruto was being taken care of by the Hokage and his parents were nowhere to be found.

Jiraiya had assured him over and over again that his parents didn't just up and abandon him, but he could never come up with reason as to why they left. From what Naruto had heard, his parents were very kind, dependable people, and that they were young. Naruto wondered if they thought they were too young to have a baby and so they gave him away. It seemed plausible; he knew of other couples doing it. But still…he would like to meet them in person and ask them why they didn't try to stick around and be his family.

"…want to join me?"

"Huh?" Naruto said dumbly, looking at Jiraiya with wide eyes. Wow, had he been spacing out that whole time? Hopefully the pervert and Sasuke hadn't had some weird conversation while he was lost in his head. Judging by the glare Sasuke had locked on him, he was sure they had been stuck in an awkward silence while he thought.

"Geez, you're such an air head, kid. I said I'm thinking of going to get some ramen. Do you want to join me?" Jiraiya bopped the teen on the top of his head, grinning at the way Naruto's eyes brightened at the mention of his favorite food.

"Yes!" In Naruto's opinion, that was a stupid question. Did he want to be treated to ramen? Duh! Of course he wanted free ramen! He turned to Sasuke with a wide smile. He used to always drag the Uchiha to Ichiraku Ramen Hut, so they could go together now like old times. "Teme, let's-"

"No." Sasuke turned and retreated back to the slide, picking up his bag that he had left at the foot of the ladder with Naruto's.

"Eh? Bastard! What the hell?" Naruto squint his eyes at the teen as he walked past them. "Where the hell are you going?"

"Hn,"

"You-" A hand slapping down on his shoulder cut Naruto off before he could yell his head off. He puffed out his cheeks in annoyance at Jiraiya shaking his head. What the hell? Was Sasuke PMS-ing or something? Geez, they were doing fine until their kiss was interrupted- oh. Right. Naruto sighed and shrugged off Jiraiya's hand. "Whatever, let the teme go sulk. I want ramen!"

He ran over to his bag, almost slipping on the mulch and failing to grab it. By the time he returned to Jiraiya who was waiting for him by the posts, Sasuke was long gone. Not that he cared. The guy could go pout all he wanted. Geez, he was acting like it was the end of the world just because he didn't get a kiss…crap, Naruto was really about to let Sasuke kiss him! No, he couldn't think about that right now. Jiraiya would get suspicious and probably think-

"Did you just dump him or something?"

"No! Why would you think that?"

* * *

><p>Jiraiya waved his hands in front of him animatedly to emphasize the curvaceous body he was trying to describe in perfect detail, down to the very last cell in the Brazilian woman. "You should have seen it, brat."<p>

Naruto rolled his eyes. He wasn't exactly interested in foreign women. He was very content with life and the people in Konoha. Sure, he would love to travel like Jiraiya, but he would never settle for anything out there. Just to visit and experience other cultures would be good enough for him, and he loved it when tourists came to Konoha, though now wasn't the season for them. They usually came in around August for the festivals and fireworks, and then later in October and November when the leaves changed colors.

"She had on a red string bikini that barely covered anything." Jiraiya continued, not caring if Naruto was listening or not.

His words reminded Naruto of something and he pulled his bag around him as they walked on to Jiraiya's house, stuffed after eating almost seven bowls of ramen. "Oh, hey, I have something that you might like." He said, digging into the pouch.

"Unless it's a cute, young girl with size double D's, I'm not interested. Speaking of D-cups, how's your friend? That Hyuuga girl."

"Shut up, perv. Ah, here it is!" He pulled out the gashapon capsule and held it out to Jiraiya with a grin.

The older man looked surprised by the random gift, and he popped it open, having to turn it in his hand to look at the cat girl figurine up right. A dirty smirk adorned his lips and he looked at Naruto. "Me gusta."

"Huh?" Naruto frowned at the unfamiliar language and closed up his bag, replacing it on his back.

"I like it, brat. What are you doing with it, though?" Jiraiya closed up the capsule and stuffed it into his pocket. He was going to put it on his work desk so he could glance at it when he needed 'inspiration' for his writing.

Naruto shrugged and stuffed his hands in his pockets. He didn't want to keep it, because it would just remind him that Sasuke had thrown away the Tidus figure.

The smell of baked dough wafted past his nose, and he knew he wasn't the only one who smelled it when Jiraiya's head shot up as well.

"Oh man, I haven't had takoyaki in a long time. Are you full from the ramen or do you want some too?" Jiraiya grinned, pointing at the stand that was always there for as long as Naruto could remember. It was owned by a family, and they took turns running it from time to time. Hopefully the cute daughter would be working today…

"I'll split a plate with you." Naruto said as they approached the stand. Unfortunately the eldest son of the family was working, but he was the fastest at getting the orders ready. He had their food done in no time, and Naruto and Jiraiya thanked him before walking off.

"The plate's hot." Jiraiya hissed as he switched hands with it. He pulled out his handkerchief and cupped it in his hand under the paper container. "I tell you what, there's nothing like Japanese cuisine. I think it may be one of the reasons I return to this country."

Naruto puffed out his cheeks and glared at the older man. "You mean besides the fact that I'm here?"

"Oh, right, there's you too. And my editor wouldn't be thrilled if I never came home." He stabbed one of the octopus balls with a toothpick and popped it into his mouth. "Wuah, shooda led id coo!" He swallowed and grimaced at the feeling of his burning tongue.

The teenager next to him rolled his eyes and looked away. Jiraiya could be such an idiot when he wanted to change the subject. Not that Naruto was mad at him; he knew the old pervert was just kidding. Tsunade had even told him once that he was probably the number one reason Jiraiya returned from his trips. Whether it was because of Naruto himself or because he felt he owed it to his former student…

"Tell me a story about my parents." Naruto said, receiving a look from Jiraiya.

"You've heard every story I know about them, kid." He stuffed another takoyaki into his mouth, not carrying that it scorched his taste buds. He held out the plate to Naruto, but the boy waved his hand dismissively.

"I know, but tell me the one where they first met." It was his favorite story because it was how their love for each other first blossomed.

Jiraiya sighed and swallowed his food before leaning his head back as he thought about the story. "Well let's see…it was after school one day, and your mom was still new to Konoha."

* * *

><p><em>"Wow, the jewelry in this store is so cute, 'ttebane!" Uzumaki Kushina slipped the bracelet over her hand and stretched her arm out in front of her to see how the turquoise beads looked against her fair skin. It would look perfect with her white blouse and blue skirt.<em>

_"Hey!"_

_The teenage girl jumped and looked at the tall, burly man glaring down at her. Had she done something wrong? She was new to Konoha, so she wasn't accustomed to their village yet._

_"Think you can pretend that bracelet is yours and walk out with it, huh?" the man said, grabbing her thin arm with the bracelet in a painful hold._

_"Ow!" She winced and instinctively began tugging against him. "No, I wasn't doing anything like that! Let go, you meathead!"_

_"What did you just call me? I can call the cops on a thief like you."_

_It was no good; he was far too strong for Kushina. What was a man like this even doing working in a jewelry store? Was he a retired pro-wrestler or something? She glared up at her accuser and puffed out her cheeks in annoyance. "It's not like that! I wasn't going to steal it! I was just-"_

_Her sentence was cut off by a loud crash, and both she and the store clerk snapped their heads in the direction of the noise. Kushina couldn't see over the island counter filled with necklaces and bracelets in front of her, but the tall man could and he let go of her arm in favor of putting both his hands to his balding head._

_"Shit! What the hell?" He quickly ran over to the revolving rack of earrings that had fallen off the counter across the store. "Stupid cheap thing…"_

_When he bent over, someone grabbed Kushina's wrist and it took all of her willpower not to scream in surprise. Before she had time to comprehend what was happening, she was being pulled out of the store by a tall boy, the clerk calling after them in rage. However, the teen didn't let up his hold on her nor did he slow down. It was a struggle keeping up with him and his long strides, especially in her leather school shoes that were threatening to slip off._

_"W-wait…" she stumbled forward into his back when she tripped over the toe of her shoe. Taking a second to study who was pulling her, she first noticed that he was in the Konoha High blazer, meaning that he went to her school. The second thing was his wild, thick blond hair. It looked so soft, she wanted to touch it. However, she didn't have time to because he began pulling her again._

_She wasn't sure how long they ran, but it was enough to make her legs burn. All the colors of the shops and vendors were a blur as they dodged people in the crowded street. The boy's grip didn't let up for a single second, and at one point he almost seemed to squeeze it reassuringly when she tripped over her feet again._

_Finally, the boy took a sharp turn and the terrain under their shoes changed to uneven mulch. He slowed down and she did with him, panting from the sudden exercise. Her thighs screamed in pain as she fell back on the bench that he had stopped in front of. She didn't care that her legs were open, she was tired! And it wasn't like he could see anything, her school skirt came down to the tops of her knees._

_She glared up at the boy staring at her in concern, his blue eyes making any rude comment she was about to say catch in her throat. "Um…"_

_"You're Kushina Uzumaki, the transfer student from 2-E, right? I'm Minato Namikaze, the class rep of 2-F. Are you okay?"_

_What was she supposed to say to this gorgeous boy? He was giving her the most sincere smile and it was making the simplest, mindless action of breathing very difficult at the moment. Damn it, she wasn't normally like this around guys! What was coming over her? "I…I didn't need your help! I could have taken care of it myself!"_

_For a split second, Minato looked taken back by the girl's shouting, but then another smile split his face. It was so wide that it made his eyes close. "I'm glad that you're okay."_

_Kushina drew her thighs together and glared down at her lap. This boy was wither a real idiot or oblivious. But he was really cute, and he had the most gorgeous eyes she had ever seen. And he wasn't all that bad; he did save her after all._

_Standing up, she straightened her back and bowed deeply in Minato's direction. "Thank you for helping me." She glanced at her hands and sat up quickly, holding her arm out in front of her as she gaped. "Oh no! The bracelet! I really did steal it! Wait, no I didn't, it was an accident! Oh no, what am I going to do, ttebane?"_

_She went still when Minato firmly grasped her forearm with one hand and slid the turquoise bracelet off her wrist with the other. He moved so slowly and gentle that it made her face explode with heat. Her complexion probably matched her hair at the moment, but she was too embarrassed to check._

_He gave her another brilliant smile as he put the bracelet in his schoolbag. "I'll bring it back to the store tomorrow after school and explain that it was just a mistake. Please don't worry."_

_Kushina parted her lips slightly before frowning and shaking her head. "No! I'll bring it back! I'm the one who took it!" Her dainty hands curled into fists at her sides at the thought of having to face that store clerk again. She may have had a red belt in judo, but that didn't mean she wasn't afraid of big guys like him._

_"Then we'll go together. I have soccer practice after classes tomorrow, but if you don't mind waiting, we can walk there together. Is that all right with you?" Minato looked at her expectantly, awaiting her answer._

_She couldn't help but feel like he was being far too friendly to a stranger, but at the same time she liked it and was drawn to it. "Okay…" She tucked her hair behind her ears in her nervousness from his intense gaze._

_Minato seemed pleased by her answer. "After we sort everything out at the store, would you like to get ramen at that new stand that just opened up?"_

_"Ichiraku's?"_

_He nodded in confirmation._

_Was he asking her out on a date? Was ramen even considered date food? It wasn't, right? She was just looking too deeply into this. "O-okay, that sounds good."_

_Minato grinned confidently. "Then I'll meet you at the front gate tomorrow after soccer practice."_

_"Yes. I'll see you then." Kushina bowed to him again, making him laugh. She frowned at him, feeling extremely self-conscious._

_"You're so formal. It's cute." Minato chuckled. He was answered with the heel of Kushina's right shoe slamming down on his left foot, and twisting. He hissed and knelt down to massage his throbbing foot through his shoe, looking up to watch Kushina stomp out of the park. He smiled to the best of his ability despite his pain. "I guess she doesn't like being called cute…"_

* * *

><p>By the time Jiraiya finished telling the story, they had reached his house. "The next day, they brought the bracelet back and apologized. Apparently the clerk had been a lot more understanding when your dad explained what happened." He began laughing as though he had just heard a good joke, and then sighed softly. "Your mom nicknamed him the 'sexist drag queen'. She never went back to that store again."<p>

Naruto smiled happily and waited for Jiraiya to fish out the right key for his house. He knew that the old man missed his parents a lot. When they got inside, he took off his shoes and made himself comfortable on the living room couch. "Your house smells like stale cigarettes." He announced.

"You know I haven't touched a cigarette in my life." Jiraiya said, stepping past his luggage that he had dropped off when he first arrived.

"I know, I'm just saying it smells like it." Naruto muttered, picking at the fuzz on the couch cushion. Jiraiya was unaware that he knew the old man smoked a pipe when he was writing. It wasn't like he had a problem with people smoking; his nose just got irritated by the smell and it made him feel like he wanted sneeze, but nothing ever came.

Jiraiya glanced at the teenager who had no qualms about stretching out on his couch, leaving no room for another person to sit. Not like that was going to stop him.

"Ow! Fatso, get off!" Naruto shouted, his pelvis being crushed between Jiraiya's butt and the couch cushion.

"I'm not fat, brat." Jiraiya argued, getting up and urging Naruto to move to one side of the couch so that he could sit down. "I'm pure muscle. The ladies love it."

Naruto glared at him. "What ladies?" A large hand smacked him over the head and he rubbed the abused spot soothingly. Jeez, the old fart couldn't take a joke when it came to him and women.

"Tell me what's going on with the Uchiha." Jiraiya said suddenly, adjusting the over shirt he was wearing so it wasn't bunched up behind his back.

Naruto dropped his hands to his knees and stared at the old man incredulously. "Huh? Nothing's going on with that bastard!"

"Seems to me like it's something," Jiraiya raised a brow, clearly stating that he didn't believe the teenager.

"It's nothing!"

"Kiss."

"What?"

"He's the kid whose parents were killed by that gang, right?"

Naruto stared at Jiraiya skeptically. So he knew that Sasuke was about to kiss him? Then why the hell did he stop them? Wait, why was Naruto even mad that Jiraiya had stopped them from kissing? Shit, his head was getting all mixed up again. Stupid Uchiha bastards and old, decaying perverts! Wait, what had he just said? "A gang?"

Jiraiya nodded, resting his arms on the back of the couch and stretching his legs out before him, crossing them at the ankles. "It happened when you were about eight years old. His father was the head of Konoha's police department. Most Uchihas were back in the day, but Uchiha Fugaku, Sasuke's father, was one of the last. There was a big drug deal case, and he snagged a guy who was high up in the yakuza. Of course other members got wind of it, and they took out Fugaku and his wife Mikoto while Itachi and Sasuke were out playing. It was a normal summer day to the two boys. Can you imagine coming home for dinner, only eight years old and your brother barely thirteen, to find your parents dead in your house?" He had said the last part low, as if speaking aloud to himself. Even to this day he couldn't believe it himself.

Naruto swallowed thickly, wondering what had gone through a young Sasuke's mind at the sight of his own dead parents. All this time he had thought that he and the Uchiha were the same because neither of them had parents. Now it made him sound so naïve. He had no idea what it was like to have his mother and father taken from him like that. Geez, if that had happened to Naruto, he would kill the sons of bitches that…wait…

Blue eyes widened comically, and he stood up from the couch so fast that Jiraiya had to do a double take to realize that he was no longer sitting next to the blond.

"Brat?"

"It all makes so much sense now…" Naruto muttered, rushing to the entry and leaning against the wall as he slipped on his shoes, tying them lazily.

"Where are you going all of a sudden?" Jiraiya asked, pushing himself up from the couch and wincing at his knee popping.

"I just remembered that I have somewhere to go…" he lied. Wincing, he turned to look at the older man. What did it matter if Jiraiya knew or not? "Actually, I'm going to find Sasuke."

Jiraiya frowned. He loved Naruto, but sometimes the boy could be so impulsive, and that caused problems for other people. "Now don't go berating the poor kid about his parents. That's impolite, and it can bring bad luck."

"I'm not going to go shout at him about his dead parents, jeez. I just need to ask him something." Naruto picked up his bag and moved to the front door.

"Don't stay out too late," Jiraiya called after him. "It is a school night."

"Thanks _dad_." Naruto grinned before shutting the door and taking off down the porch steps. Everything was starting to make sense now. He didn't have a complete picture of Sasuke's past in Otogakure, but at least he was one step closer now. Sasuke was too smart to get caught up in some low gang that went around beating people up. He had to have a motive for taking such a risk, and Naruto was sure now that he knew why. Sasuke wanted revenge on the yakuza that took his parents' lives.

That had to be it. Sasuke had the potential to do great things with his life, but he _chose _to become a delinquent. He most likely didn't make some brash decision, and he wouldn't allow himself to be backed into a corner. If there was one thing Naruto knew about Sasuke that never faltered was that he was level-headed and calculating. He made the resolution to get involved in whatever he came across in Otogakure. However, having made that decision might have distorted his conduct of judgment just slightly, which was why he had been picking on that boy the day Naruto found him outside the store. Maybe it had just become a bad habit he picked up, or something that he was faced with in the other town.

Naruto pressed his lips into a thin line, his steps holding a greater purpose than ever before. He was becoming too impatient for walking, and he settled for a brisk jog. Not many people were out on the sidewalks due to it already being dark outside; families were already sitting down to dinner. However, he had a feeling that Sasuke wasn't at home. And Naruto wasn't quite sure if he remembered how to get to Sasuke's house anymore.

If he went down to the lake, he might get the general idea because he recalled going in the opposite direction of his home. However, after five years, it might seem strange for him to arrive at Sasuke's house unannounced. Damn it, he was going to have to get Sasuke's cell phone number or email, or something!

Naruto's best bet right now was to run around the area he had seen Sasuke and his friends that night, hoping that they were sticking around there. That's what gangs did, right? He could only hope.

He rounded a corner quickly collided into someone, bumping heads and stumbling backwards. Both he and the other guy fell back onto the sidewalk, groaning in pain and rubbing their heads. Something clacked on the cement, and Naruto glanced at it, noticing that it was a white mask. He looked over at the slightly pudgy boy who was collecting himself slowly.

"Uh, sorry…" Naruto said. He got up along with the boy who seemed surprised that his mask wasn't on his face.

"Shit!" he shouted, bending over and grabbing his mask and shoving Naruto out of the way so that he could keep running.

Naruto glared after him, rubbing his sore forehead. "Geez, what an ass."

He spun around immediately when the sound of air leaving someone's lungs reached his ears, and he saw a man stagger out of an alley up ahead and fall to his knees. He also had a mask on with red markings.

Naruto's eyes widened and he ran over to the man, only to stop when another guy with a mask was thrown out of the lane, the other man barely having any time to catch him. It suddenly dawned on Naruto that these guys were part of the ANBU, a local gang in Konoha that didn't really mess with people unless they got in the way. They saw themselves as the unofficial police that gave criminals "what they really deserved". Since they were the only group in Konoha that meant that only one other person could be taking them on at the moment.

Swallowing to wet his dry throat, Naruto looked into the alleyway to see Karin kick a masked man in the head, sending him to the ground. Wow, she was a lot stronger than he had suspected. His eyes quickly averted from her to a familiar head of raven hair that was shoving a man by his disguise into the wooden planks of the fence behind him. The man grunted and slid down to the ground gripping his head.

"Sas-" Naruto called without thinking, quickly shutting his mouth when the teen lifted his head at his name. He was too distracted by the sound that he didn't have time to block the body that slammed into his, forcing him back against the brick wall of the building on the other side of the alley. Shit, Sasuke was going to get hurt! He had to do something…

Of course! The one thing that the ANBU feared was the real police, who looked down on their acts as criminal rather than justice. As long as the ANBU weren't caught in the act by the cops, they felt like they were the good guys.

Naruto turned to face the street and cupped his hands around his mouth. "Hey, officer!" he yelled to an imaginary policeman, hoping that none of the ANBU checked in which direction he was yelling and seeing that he was full of shit. "There are people fighting! The ANBU are beating people up!"

"Sonova-!"

Naruto watched as all the men in masks scattered, exiting both ends of the alleyway, one of them shoving Naruto out of the way as he made his escape. In mere seconds, Sasuke and his three friends were the only ones left in the passageway, and Naruto couldn't help but grin at his victory.

Apparently, not everyone saw it that way. Suigetsu narrowed his eyes at Naruto and lowered the shinai he was holding. "Not this bitch again."

Sasuke's reaction was no better, glaring darkly at the blond while he wiped a dribble of blood from his split lip. "What are you doing here, usuratonkachi?"

"You joined a gang because your parents were killed, huh?" Naruto blurted out, immediately regretting it. He should have pulled Sasuke off somewhere more private first. Damn him, acting before thinking…maybe he really was an idiot.

"What?" Sasuke hissed. He clearly didn't appreciate Naruto bringing that up in front of the others, just as he predicted.

However, it had already been said and there was no point trying to take it back now. "You joined a gang because your parents were murdered by one. I'm right, aren't I?"

Sasuke inhaled deeply and crossed the space between him and Naruto in swift steps. He combined his last step with a fist to the blond's gut. It wasn't hard enough to leave a bruise, but it definitely made the teen double over.

"Ngh…" Naruto groaned. "Bastard!" He delivered his own punch to Sasuke's stomach, bringing him down to his eyelevel. They held each other's glare, their fists continuing to press into their stomachs as if to support them. Several seconds of silence passed before Suigetsu seemed to get bored from the lack of action.

"Are you sure you don't want me to dump his body in the lake?"

Both teens stood up and diverted their glares to the white-haired boy, making him flinch as though they had burned him with their stares. He raised both hands up defensively, taking a step back to put more distance between them.

Sasuke turned to Naruto and sighed, his gaze never letting up. "Go home."

Naruto clenched his fists, taking a power stance. "No, I need to talk to you!"

"Not you, dobe. I was talking to them." Sasuke nodded his head to the group of teens who looked about ready to argue just like Naruto.

"Then don't look at me while you say that, teme!" Naruto whined.

"Hn," Sasuke pivoted his entire body to face his friends, brushing off his jacket sleeve as he spoke. "I need to discuss some things with Uzumaki here. I'm taking him home."

Suigetsu let out an indignant snort and folded his arms over his chest. "Better make sure he does more than piss his pants this time, Uchiha. Clearly that wasn't enough to get him to fuck off. I suggest shaving his head-"

"Shut up, Suigetsu!" Karin shouted in exasperation, lifting her leg and kicking him in the back.

Naruto did his best to look away quickly so he didn't end up staring at her exposed underwear beneath her skirt. Weren't girls supposed to wear shorts under their school skirts? Speaking of school uniforms, it was foolish of them to be fighting in them. Someone other than Naruto could see them and know that they were from Konoha High, not to mention that those guys from the ANBU now knew too.

"What are you defending him for, Karin?" Suigetsu smacked her leg away from him.

"You're being a jerk to Naruto!" she cried, attempting to smack him on the head but he ducked out of the way.

Suigetsu glared at her, his jaw protruding outwards in his annoyance. "Huh? What, you friends with him now?"

"Let's go," Sasuke said quietly, leaving the bickering teens alone with Jugo who nodded to Naruto and Sasuke as they left.

When they were a couple of blocks away, and Naruto was sure it was safe, he decided to try approaching the Uchiha once more. "Sasuke, about your parents-"

"Stop talking." Sasuke clipped, shoving his hands in his pockets. Naruto recognized it as a defensive measure, so he decided to back off the topic until they reached his apartment.

They got to his door and he unlocked it, stepping inside and waiting for Sasuke to be fully inside before speaking. "I'm right about why you joined a gang, right?"

"No." Sasuke said, slipping off his shoes and walking into Naruto's bedroom.

The blond gulped, and dropped his bag while he took off his own shoes. "But you want revenge, right?" Naruto called, trotting into his bedroom and finding Sasuke sitting cross-legged on his bed. He frowned at how familiar Sasuke was being in his home, but decided that it wasn't important right now. He reached over to turn the light on, but Sasuke's voice made him halt.

"Leave it off."

He swallowed and looked at Sasuke with an unsteady gaze. He didn't want a repeat of last week.

"You're wrong about the reason being my parents. And I didn't just join like it was some after-school activity. Moron." Sasuke folded his arms and looked over at the door in Naruto's bedroom that led to the balcony. His face was smooth, as though he were calm and possibly already over the subject.

Naruto puffed out his cheeks and plopped down on his bed next to Sasuke, taking on his same pose with the crossed arms and legs. He glared at Sasuke until the boy finally gave in and turned to look at him. "Why then? What made you go astray? You never acted like this when you were living here."

Sasuke lifted an eyebrow before sighing and looking ahead of him. "Itachi was in one."

Blue eyes widened and he leaned in closer to listen to the raven-haired teen whose voice dropped considerably. However, Sasuke was done with that particular topic of discussion and ready to move on.

"You were going to let me kiss you in the park."

Naruto resisted the urge to roll his eyes, though he couldn't stop the blush that exploded on his skin and even covered his ears. Of course the jerk would bring that up at a time like this. Whenever Naruto was trying to get serious and ask about his time spent in Otogakure, Sasuke had to flip the tables and talk about kissing. "Yeah, but it didn't happen. Oh well."

He couldn't look Sasuke in the eyes, not that he needed to. He could feel the intense gaze boring into him anyway.

"I want to try again."

Naruto dropped his arms to his sides and gripped the material of his comforter, anchoring himself to the bed. "R-right now?" Under normal circumstances, he would have slapped himself for act like such a girl. But this wasn't typical in the least. It wasn't often that he was about to kiss his best friend twice in one day. In fact, he was pretty sure that this was against the rules in the friend code that Sakura had made up in middle school, not that he remembered any of them, but he was sure this was strictly forbidden or something (he was also pretty sure that Sakura had made that rule up just for him to try to deter his feelings for her).

Sasuke's eyes dropped to his lap, and Naruto wondered if maybe he was nervous. "If you don't want to, then I'll leave."

Whether it was supposed to be taken as a way out or a threat, he wasn't sure. He reminded himself that Sasuke was sacrificing his feelings for Naruto. He might not have been open about his time out of town, but he was reaching for him in a way that, if rejected, could potentially ruin him emotionally. And in a way, Naruto wanted to be that support for Sasuke. He wasn't being egotistical when he thought that he was the only one who could do this for the Uchiha…do this _to_ him. Make him feel and need and want all in one, just for one person.

The idea gave him newfound confidence, and he inhaled deeply, looking at his childhood friend. He couldn't lose Sasuke again, and definitely not like this. "Okay."

Sasuke glanced at him, his eyelids twitching as though he wanted to blink but was too afraid to because that simple act would make Naruto change his mind. He studied the blond for a few moments, searching for any signs of deceit, before deeming him ready and sitting up straight.

Naruto closed his eyes in anticipation, just like earlier in the park, and waited for the kiss to come. He knew that his body was tense, but that was only because this kiss was most likely going to determine whether or not he wanted to try taking things further with Sasuke. If it didn't work out in the end, they could just go back to being friends; that was how he saw it.

He could feel Sasuke's breath on his lips when the teen exhaled. His cologne was much fainter now and mixed with the smell of sweat due to his earlier activity in the alley. Just a bit further and their lips would touch, their friendship would evolve, and their lives would change. Just one more inch…half an inch…less than a centimeter…

This time there was no one to call out to them, to make Naruto fall off a slide, or begin to doubt whether or not he should be doing this with his friend. No, this time, electricity seemed to explode at the contact of their lips, making Naruto's body begin to tingle from his head to his legs. The feeling made him relax immediately, as if this was completely natural. He uncrossed his legs and pulled at the comforter, a rather intense reaction despite the sheer gentleness of the kiss.

It took Naruto a moment to realize that Sasuke was pulling back, and he was following. He stilled and lifted his eyelids halfway, giving the other boy a hooded gaze. His body suddenly felt heavy without Sasuke and he couldn't explain why. Was it even a good thing that he was reacting like this?

Sasuke licked his lips briefly, adorning Naruto with a calculating gaze before leaning in again and capturing his bottom lip between his. He pulled at it slightly, and then pressed forward again. He repeated a couple of more times before Naruto caught on and did the same to his upper lip. They both applied more pressure at the same time, but it was Naruto who swiped his tongue over Sasuke's lips first, tasting the rustic flavor of blood from the cut on his lip. It made the Uchiha still for half a second before following suit.

Once tongues got in involved, Naruto realized that there was no going back from this. He couldn't pull back and laugh sheepishly while grinning, muttering a 'just kidding' sending Sasuke on his merry way and hoping to remain simply friends. He knew that by the probing tongue asking for entrance, he was closing one door and opening another. He was really going to let Sasuke into his life as something beyond a friend, take that tentative step across the invisible line that all buddies had drawn. He wasn't intoxicated, he wasn't on any drugs, and there was nothing he could blame his next decision on. He was just going to have to face this head on and deal with whatever came with it.

Hesitantly, Naruto opened his mouth and welcomed Sasuke's tongue inside, greeting it with his own. Sasuke seemed just as timid, and he carefully pressed the tip of his appendage against Naruto's before breaking away and exploring the moist cavern.

The idiot tasted like ramen, which was no surprise because Naruto had gone to Ichiraku's with that old man from the park. Sasuke almost wanted to remove the essence from his mouth because it represented what had kept them from doing this earlier. He placed his hands on Naruto's shoulders and guided him to lie down on the bed.

Naruto broke the kiss and moved his legs into a more comfortable position, Sasuke settling between them. He didn't have any time to realize their position due to the pair of hungry lips covering his again. This time he was much more willing to open his mouth to Sasuke, and he even allowed his own tongue to wander into the foreign territory of Sasuke's mouth. It wasn't too different from the time Sasuke kissed him forcefully, though it was definitely more gentle and enticing.

Sasuke's hips suddenly began rocking against his, making him very aware of their position and just how aroused he was. He went completely still and withdrew his tongue, causing Sasuke to stop and look down at him.

"…What's wrong?" The Uchiha sounded breathless, and it was obvious that he was no better off than Naruto.

The blond didn't know what to say. He had never done anything like this before, not willingly at least. He was sure that if they were going to base something off this, then they should stop now and take it slow. But his mind was too muddled to think about that. All that he knew was that Sasuke had made him come last time, and he really wouldn't mind doing it again.

Sasuke inhaled deeply, watching the hesitation in Naruto's eyes before sitting up.

"Sasuke?" Naruto leaned forward to sit as well, but a hand kept him pinned down.

"Stay like that." He ordered, and he waited for a minute to make sure Naruto listened before moving his hands down to Naruto's school pants and belt.

"Hey!" Naruto sat up immediately, but he was forced to back down again. "Teme!"

"Relax." Sasuke undid the belt quickly, having to stop again when Naruto rose off the bed again. He looked up with obvious annoyance, as if he was more confused by the fact that Naruto was trying to stop him.

Naruto's face was so hot, he was afraid it would melt off. "Relax?" His voice cracked. "How can I relax when you're taking off my pants?"

"It'll feel good." Sasuke said, opening Naruto's school pants. A hand was slapped to his forehead, another pulling at the back of his hair. "Dobe…"

"You can't! Sasuke – hey!" Despite his feeble attempts to keep him from progressing, Sasuke still managed to force his pants down his hips and stopping midway on his thighs. Naruto gnawed on his bottom lip at the overwhelming relief of being freed from the confines of his pants.

He was so torn right now. One part of him was completely against the situation. This was Sasuke, his childhood friend! It was bad enough he as just kissing him, but to go beyond that? Unthinkable! However, another part, a much more lenient part, was ready and willing to let Sasuke show him just what he was to expect from this turn of events. Not to mention he was curious; he had never had someone give him a…stupid hormones messing with his mind!

At the lack of resistance from Naruto, Sasuke took the opportunity to slip his green boxers down to meet school pants. Naruto made a noise that was a mix between a sigh and a grunt of disapproval, he wasn't quite sure. All he knew was that he didn't want to stop now; couldn't stop now. The hand in his hair held fast while the one on his forehead dropped down to get a hold on the comforter.

He looked up at Naruto's face, but the boy had his eyes squeezed shut in anticipation, his mouth bent in a grimace. Scoffing, Sasuke leaned down and kissed the warm skin of Naruto's thighs. The muscles beneath flexed at the tender touch, and Naruto shuddered as Sasuke kissed and nipped his way up to tan hip bones, pushing the white school shirt out of his way as he went.

"Sasuke…" Blue eyes peeked down at him finally, his body quivering at the light touches. Was he trying to get a reaction out of him, or was Sasuke just being cautious? The Uchiha took Naruto's member in his hand, making the boy jump. "Wait, teme, I can't!"

"Dobe," Sasuke slid his hand up and down the length, pre-cum already pilling at the slit. Any doubts he had about Naruto being a virgin diminished and he leaned down to lick the leaking head, laving his tongue over the red skin.

"Sh-shit…!" Naruto cried, his eyes snapping shut and his head bowing. Whatever part of him was against this broke into a billion pieces and blew away in some imaginary wind. Why had he been so reluctant to let Sasuke take things further again? Because this felt _amazing_.

Sasuke wrapped his lips around the mushroom-shaped head, leaning further down the shaft and taking in as much as he could. The skin was very bland, not that he expected it to taste like peppermint or anything. Perhaps he had thought it would taste salty or somewhere along those lines. It wasn't an unpleasant flavor though, it was definitely something he could get used to and enjoy.

He would slow down, speed up, suck harder, and lick the underside all at Naruto's wordless commands. Taking the pulls of his hair and the noises Naruto made, he was able to quickly figure out what he reacted to the most. Sasuke had to pin his hips down to the bed to prevent himself from choking on the suddenly eager blond teen.

Naruto's mouth hung open, only closing it briefly to swallow or bite his lip at the sensations building up in the pit of his stomach. "Mngh, Sasuke!" he cried out, feeling ready to explode at any moment.

Sasuke pulled off of him, dragging his tongue over the slit. He wrapped his pale fingers around the pulsing cock and pumped it, covering the end with his other hand. He knew Naruto wouldn't last long his first time around, and that didn't bother him. He had made him feel this way, given him this experience for the first time.

Naruto thrust into Sasuke's hand one last time before coming, his body tensing up at the sudden rush of pleasure that consumed him body and mind. All his senses seemed to go on hiatus and he couldn't hear anything other than the blood pounding in his ears. He felt like he was floating, his body tingling all over with satisfaction. He didn't want this moment of pure bliss to end; he had never felt so good in his life. Would it always be like this? He could get used to it.

He had no idea how much time had passed, but when he came to he saw Sasuke wiping his hands on the orange comforter covering the bed, leaving a faded white stain there. Wait, was that his…

Naruto's face flushed crimson and he slid back on his bed until he hit the wall. "Y-you…pervert!"

Sasuke was clearly not amused by the childish accusation.

"Ah…sorry…" He glanced down at his exposed lap, realizing that he was never going to be able to look there again without remembering what Sasuke had done. And it wasn't like he was mad; how could he be? He had let Sasuke touch him, kiss him, lick him. His body was still buzzing and his brain wasn't allowing him to think straight, he was so sated.

He turned his attention to the obvious tent in Sasuke's pants, and a wave of embarrassment and pride rushed over him. Gosh, he had made the teme like that. And this wasn't the first time either. Sasuke had grinded and rubbed against him till completion last time, meaning he had lost control for a few minutes in order to get his release with Naruto. And Sasuke had made him feel so good just now, so he should return the favor, right?

"Should I…I mean…"

A dark eyebrow lifted in question, and Sasuke folded his arms over his chest. How he could stand there with a completely passive expression and a boner, Naruto would never understand.

"You know…help you with your–"

"No."

Naruto's eyes widened at the curt answer, and then narrowed them and furrowed his eyebrows. "Why the hell not?" Did he think Naruto was incapable of getting him off? Sure, he had never touched another guy in that way before, but if Sasuke could do it then so could he! It seemed pretty easy, and if he could swallow down his nervousness he had a feeling he could be pretty damn good at it! Wait, he was getting a little ahead of himself now. Since when did he want to do this kind of stuff with the bastard?

"I don't need to return the favor, idiot." He took a step away from the bed, moving closer to the door.

"I'm not!" But that was exactly how Naruto saw it. If he thought it through long enough, he would know that he wasn't ready for something like this. He wasn't even sure what 'this' was. He could tell Sasuke didn't either. So where did that leave them now? Were they still friends after doing something like that? Could they even be normal friends now?

"I'll see you at school, dobe." Sasuke's voice was void of emotion, he was closing up again.

And Naruto didn't know what to say at the moment to stop him. So he let him leave his apartment without another word. His head hurt from all the different directions this could end up in.

Sasuke could decide Naruto wasn't worth it, or what he imagined it would be like. He'd give up, tonight being the big wake up call, the big realization that he didn't really want Naruto as much as he thought.

Or it would end up being the other way around. Naruto would wake up in the morning, see Sasuke at school the next day and feel instantly sick to his stomach. No, that just didn't seem plausible. He loved Sasuke too much. Wait, love?

That was another option. He would return Sasuke's feelings, they would end up dating on the down low, life would go on and they'd go in whatever direction the wind took them.

Or they would decide to remain friends, a mutual agreement that would lead to nothing more. Somehow, the thought of that made Naruto feel empty inside.

He shouldn't have let Sasuke go beyond kissing. His brain was getting all messed up now, and he had a feeling there was no turning back from this. They couldn't pretend it never happened. However, Naruto was too impatient to just sit around and wait for Sasuke to tell him what they were going to do next.

Tomorrow at school, he'd approach Sasuke on the issue and get some answers. They'd find a common ground and work off that. Yes, that seemed like a good plan to Naruto. With that in mind, he decided to get ready for bed. His body felt heavy when he moved, but he pushed forward anyway. And as he lay there that night, his mind was filled the feeling of Sasuke kissing him, the pressure on his lips and smell of his cologne. Shit, did this mean that he was falling in love with Sasuke?

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><p><strong>DAMN IT THESE CHAPTERS KEEP GETTING LONGER AND LONGER!<strong>

**I love that Naruto can get a blowjob from Sasuke, get in some mini drama with Sasuke, and then _after all that_, wonder if he's falling in love with Sasuke. And it's because it's Naruto that it's almost completely normal. He's such a silly goose.**

**And now that I'm done with this chapter, I can sit here with the next one, stroking it and hugging it while you guys wait to read it. But instead of editing my mistakes out of it, I'm going to go play video games until I'm satisfied.**

**Hope you guys enjoyed your reward (it was the blowjob in case anyone was wondering)!**


	6. Stumbling Seven Times Recovering Eight

**Disclaimer: What? I don't own Naruto? Well now that just makes me depressed.**

**AN: Well…hello again. This is so sudden; I didn't expect to see you so soon.**

**Okay, I'll stop being creepy and let you get on with the chapter and your lives. This chapter is shorter than the others. I didn't have as much planned for it as I had initially thought.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Six<strong>

**Stumbling Seven Times but Recovering Eight**

Naruto's right leg bounced impatiently as he sat in his desk the next morning, waiting for Sasuke to walk through the classroom doors so he could…could…he didn't know what he wanted to do, but he was both excited and nervous to see the boy. How would he react towards Sasuke after last night? He wasn't sure, but he couldn't help but have a sense of déjà vu with the way he was waiting impatiently for Sasuke like a teenage girl. Ugh, that was an awful analogy; he wasn't a damn girl!

It was bad enough that in a moment of bewilderment and desperation to find some kind of answer, his brain had actually had the audacity to suggest that he was _in love_ with his childhood friend! It was absurd! He never once thought of Sasuke like that when they were kids.

The stupid jerk just showed up out of the blue last week and insulted him in front of the whole class after being separated for five years, and _then_ turned around and confessed that he had feelings for Naruto just days after molesting him in his apartment and making him sound like an incompetent loser with bladder issues in front of Sasuke's gang! Well, Sasuke didn't really confess, but he had confirmed it when Naruto asked!

There were currently a few things that Naruto knew for sure by the time he arrived at school that morning. One being that Sasuke Uchiha was the biggest, most arrogant jerk to ever walk through Konoha. The second thing was that Naruto needed to get a girlfriend or something because apparently his body _really_ liked kissing, and everything that escalated from that. And the last thing was that there was no way in this wide Earth did Naruto have any sort of feelings for Sasuke other than friendship and rivalry. He was merely caught up in the pleasurable experience of last night, and he would have to make that clear to Sasuke. Yet, a foggy, baffled part of him knew that wasn't true.

"Here," Kiba said, slapping a sheet of paper down on the surface of Naruto's desk. He grinned victoriously when the loud smack made the blond jump in his chair.

Naruto glanced down at the paper on his desk curiously, recognizing the photos he and Sasuke had taken yesterday after school. That seemed like so long ago due to his mind being preoccupied with other more important things. "Where'd you get these?"

"You left them." Kiba frowned at his friend, sliding the pictures away from Naruto when he reached for them. "Are you feeling all right? You're acting strange."

"Who's strange?" Naruto shouted, ripping the pictures away from the dog lover and glaring up at him.

Now Kiba was sure Naruto was being weird; then again, he was strange on a daily basis. At the moment, Naruto seemed to be a bit on edge, hostile even.

Naruto sighed and muttered an apology before looking down at the photos. Heat coursed through his body in waves as he studied the hint of a smile on Sasuke's face in two of the pictures. His heart seemed to suddenly feel light in his chest and he had to bite his lips to keep from grinning. Just like back when they were kids, Sasuke's smile was contagious. If the Uchiha was happy, you couldn't find a reason not to be, too.

"Naruto?" Kiba waved a hand in front of Naruto's vision, drawing his attention back to the brunette. "Are you listening? Okay, good. So I was walking Hinata back home yesterday, and we saw these kids chasing a dog, and…"

The classroom door slid open and Naruto quickly shut out whatever his friend was saying to watch the teenager entering the room. At the sight of the Uchiha, he immediately flipped the pictures face down on his desk.

Sasuke sauntered in with a calm air around him, while at the same time trying to remain invisible to the rest of the class. His uniform looked clean and pressed, unlike the dirt and wrinkles that covered it last night from the fight and his activities with Naruto in the bedroom.

Naruto blushed at the memory. He didn't realize Kiba had walked away from his desk until Sasuke stopped at his own desk before Naruto's. The dark-haired boy didn't even glance at Naruto, which irked him to no end. Putting on his best grin, Naruto leaned over the surface of his school desk and said, "Good morning, teme!"

Sasuke didn't turn his head as he sat down. "Hn, dobe."

"Hey, bastard, you could at least say it back!" Naruto growled, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. Even after what they did last night, Sasuke still managed to be a complete ice prick! Yet, at the same time…

"What's so good about it when you're shouting in my ear?"

They could go on acting like normal friends just like before.

Before Naruto could come up with his own retort, Kakashi sensei entered the room just before the bell rang and everyone else in the classroom took their assigned seats.

All Naruto could do during his morning classes was stare at Sasuke's relaxed back. He seemed at peace; as if Naruto letting him kiss and touch him last night had lifted a huge weight off his shoulders. Naruto envied him and his light atmosphere.

Was he the only one worrying about this? Scared about what would happen if he did give into Sasuke and, in the long run, end up alone?

The more Naruto thought about it the more he realized he was moving in lopsided, parabolic circles. He pushed Sasuke out, he reined Sasuke in. He craved Sasuke's kisses, he didn't want Sasuke touching him. He wanted to give Sasuke a chance, he wanted to shelter himself. He wanted to be Sasuke's one and only, he wanted Sasuke to move on.

He was stalled with no way out while everyone moved on with their lives around him. Everyone but Sasuke who was there with one hand on a brand new door that had recently appeared in Naruto's life, and another hand extended out to Naruto.

If things were the other way around, if Naruto yearned for Sasuke this way, would Sasuke let him in?

Something told Naruto that even the smart, sensible Uchiha would be going through the same inner turmoil as Naruto. It made him feel a lot better for some reason.

Before he knew it, his two morning classes had ended and his classmates were getting up from their desks to stretch, move over to their friends or go to the restroom. At first he was content with remaining in his seat where he could continue diagnosing his situation with the boy sitting directly in front of him. However, Sasuke stood and exited the classroom, making Naruto get up immediately.

"Hey Naruto, do you-" Shikamaru's question died on his lips as he watched his blond-haired friend rush out of the classroom. That was weird.

"Sasuke!"

Said boy stopped and looked at Naruto over his shoulder, lifting an eyebrow questioningly.

Naruto's face heated, realizing that he hadn't thought of anything to say nor did he know why he followed Sasuke in the first place. He fumbled around in his head for something to say, but words only came to him in broken phrases and he blurted them out without thinking. "About last night…"

Sasuke gave him a blank stare, which was a good sign because it meant that he was waiting for Naruto to continue and wasn't touchy about the subject.

"Look, I don't really know what to think-"

"You never do. Have you even tried using your brain yet?"

Naruto punched him lightly on the arm. "Bastard! I was trying to have a serious conversation with you last night about you know what, and you had to go and turn it into something else. I still want to talk to you about that other thing." His voice had dropped considerably low, not wanting to draw any attention from the other students roaming the hallway during their break.

Sasuke turned to face him completely, taking a firm stance. "I don't want you meddling in that part of my life."

He couldn't be serious, Naruto thought. Was Sasuke really being selective in what Naruto could and couldn't know about him? Naruto had really thought he cared, that he was relying on Naruto to make a difference in his life now that he was back on Konoha.

Was it possible that when Sasuke said he looked at Naruto in a romantic light, he really only meant physically? That would explain why he took things to such an extreme level last night. But if Sasuke wanted Naruto at all, no matter what that indicated, then he was going to have to open up and deal with him in every aspect.

Frowning, Naruto stepped closer to Sasuke so that his irritation was clear. "What? So I'm only allowed to be involved in the parts you approve of?"

For a split second, Sasuke's mask slipped and he seemed shocked by Naruto's anger. However, he quickly recovered and decided to remain silent.

Naruto wanted to punch him so hard right now, and he would too if they weren't in the hallway. It occurred to him that it was plausible that Sasuke was clamping up because they were in such a public place. Taking Sasuke's hand in his, an action that seemed to send Sasuke into a sort of stupor, Naruto guided the other boy to the stairwell. He was surprised that the Uchiha was letting him drag him around, and they made it to the roof without incident. He rounded the corner of the alcove and immediately halted, putting his hands on Sasuke's shoulders and pressing him against the wall.

This snapped Sasuke out of his trance and he shoved Naruto off of him. His dark gray eyes were narrowed dangerously, clearly not pleased with Naruto's conduct.

Fed up, Naruto glared right back and threw his arms out to the side. "I won't be in only one part of your life, Sasuke! I want to be in the whole thing!"

Sasuke looked him up and down for a few seconds, as if expecting Naruto to lay his hands on him again. He leaned forward and studied Naruto's face. "What are you trying to say?"

The implication was obvious in the Uchiha's voice; it made Naruto flush. "…I don't know. I'm still trying to figure that out myself."

"Maybe you just need a push in the right direction." Sasuke stated casually.

Naruto took a step away from the boy, and Sasuke straightened his back. "Yeah, and maybe _you_ need a push off the roof!"

The older teen lifted an eyebrow. His expression came off as both amused and aggravated; a great feat in Naruto's opinion. "You know, that's why they placed fences on the perimeter of school roofs in the first place. So victims being assaulted didn't shove their assailants off the edge. The police wanted to incarcerate them instead to keep the victim guiltless."

Naruto's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "Whoa, really?" That was actually a very valid reason, and he could understand why the police thought of that. If he was being attacked and pushed the guy off the roof, he would feel guilty even though it was in self-defense. Killing someone, on purpose or by accident, was not on his list of things to do.

"No, idiot. You're as gullible as always." Sasuke sighed.

"No I'm not, teme! That seemed like a very possible reason to me!" Naruto whined.

"Actually, I should use the word 'credulous' since gullible isn't a real word, and was added to the dictionary as a fluke." Sasuke said thoughtfully, putting a finger to his chin.

"It's not?"

Sasuke smirked.

"Teme!" Naruto huffed and crossed his arms over his chest as a sign of defiance. He wanted to talk to Sasuke seriously, but the asshole kept distracting him! "I don't know what to do with you. I want to be friends, I want to be by your side, but I don't know if I can just…start making out with you and stuff…"

Sasuke slipped his hands into his pockets and looked down at his white slippers as if solely interested in them. "You seemed to be enjoying it last night."

"I was caught up in the moment!" Naruto shouted defensively, and immediately regretted doing so. Sasuke's head snapped up and he seemed about two seconds away from tossing Naruto's body over the fence. Naruto gulped and put up his hands defensively. "O-okay, so I liked it. It felt great. But damn it, Sasuke, you can't just force that kind of stuff on me! I told you to wait, but you didn't! You can't do that kind of stuff and expect me to be okay with it! I've never done this before!"

He watched the anger visibly ease out of the Uchiha's shoulders. He was stunned when Sasuke almost looked guilty, and it gave Naruto the courage to continue speaking. "I don't know what to think of any of it…"

"And you won't know what to think unless you let me touch you." Sasuke said quickly.

Damn it, he couldn't go five seconds without thinking nor talking about molesting Naruto, could he? Naruto shuddered at the idea of Sasuke daydreaming about them doing lewd things together daily. While it was flattering, he wasn't sure he wanted to occupy the other boy's head in such a way. "Stop that! You're being a pervert!"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes dangerously at the accusation that _he_ of all people was perverted. Did he need to remind Naruto that the idiot was the one who was chased out of a corner store for looking at adult magazines when they were eleven? "No I'm not. I'm being honest. You won't be able to make up your mind if you're not exposed to what you'll be getting into."

Naruto mentally cursed Sasuke and all the gods. Sasuke was right, though; Naruto wasn't going to be able to make up his mind by just staring at Sasuke and wondering what could be. He was going to have to let Sasuke give him samples, even though last night seemed enough. Wait, but he didn't want to get in a strictly physical relationship with his childhood friend!

"May I kiss you?" Sasuke asked suddenly, breaking Naruto's thoughts.

"What? No! No way, because your kisses lead to other shit and we're not going down that road again anytime soon!" Naruto crossed his arms in front of him, forming an 'x' to represent that he was currently off limits at the moment.

The sigh of annoyance from the other boy pissed Naruto off. However, he couldn't snap at Sasuke; not just yet, at least.

"B-but…" Naruto rubbed the back of his neck, feeling hot and uncomfortable in his own skin. "I-I understand what you mean. About me having to get used to it, that is. Look, I'm not into dudes _at all_! But it's you…and I guess that's okay. I'm not saying that I want to start a relationship or anything! But I'll let you…ease me into it, I guess. We'll have to see where this takes us. Just don't go forcing yourself on me or else I'll kick your ass!"

Sasuke stared at Naruto for a few seconds before nodding. It was almost too good to be true for him; he finally got Naruto to start viewing him in the same light, even if only a little. This wasn't exactly what he had in mind, but it was definitely a good start in the right direction.

"Hey, do you have a cell phone?" Naruto asked, satisfied from Sasuke's silent agreement.

Sasuke reached into his pants pocket, pulling out a red phone that almost looked brand new due to him taking good care of it. He watched Naruto pull out a phone of a similar model, grimacing at the bright color of it. "You would have an orange phone…"

"Hey, you don't hear me making fun of your girly, candy apple red phone, do you?" Naruto snapped back, automatically becoming defensive about his favorite color in the whole world.

Sasuke rolled his eyes but didn't say anything more other than the digits of his cell's number. They silently typed each other's information into their contacts list, unknowingly using their insults towards each other as the contact's name.

The bell rang, indicating that the ten minute break was over and everyone needed to return to their respective classrooms.

* * *

><p>"Uchiha, may I talk to you for a minute?" Kakashi sensei said, waving the Uchiha over to his desk while the other students began moving their desks together for lunch.<p>

Naruto bit his bottom lips and watched as Sasuke casually approached their homeroom teacher. Was Sasuke in trouble? Anxiety flooded through Naruto as he recalled that Sasuke and his friends had been fighting in their Konoha High school uniforms last night. What if someone had seen them and reported them to the school? Sasuke would get kicked out! Or at least put on suspension since it was his first strike.

"Yo, Naruto!" Kiba called from the doorway of the classroom, Shikamaru by his side. "The cafeteria's got curry bread! If you don't hurry they're going to run out!"

Naruto glanced at Sasuke and Kakashi, trying to gauge the severity of the conversation. Things seemed normal, maybe even lighthearted, and he deemed it safe to leave with his friends without worry. "Alright, let's go!" he cheered, practically leaping into the hallway and almost running into a second-year.

Kiba began yammering about his walk home with Hinata yesterday evening like he had earlier that morning, and this time Naruto actually listened. He was glad to hear that his friend was finally getting somewhere with the girl he liked. And then there was Shikamaru who had Ino pining for him, so that left Naruto and Choji the only two single guys in their group. Or just Choji…Naruto wasn't sure what to label his and Sasuke's relationship yet. Did Choji even care that he was single? He seemed satisfied with his food alone.

They entered the cafeteria, laughing at a joke that Choji was failing at telling mainly because he said the punch line too early and was trying to retrace his steps. Naruto's heart hammered in his chest at the sight of Suigetsu, Karin and Jugo in the cafeteria. They were huddled around the bin with all the different packaged breads, Jugo already holding two bags of his own while he politely waited for his friends to pick one.

It wasn't that Naruto was afraid of them, not anymore at least. That wasn't one hundred percent truthful; he was a little scared of Suigetsu, but mostly because the guy didn't seem to have a filter and Naruto had no idea what Suigetsu might blurt out in front of Kiba and the others. To his relief, when Suigetsu noticed them he appeared outwardly bored by Naruto's presence.

"Hi," Naruto greeted them cheerfully with a slight wave.

Karin pushed her glasses further up the bridge of her nose as if to get a better look at the boys in front of her. "Naruto-kun, Nara-kun, hello."

Shikamaru nodded in greeting, earning a confused look from both Kiba and Choji who were still in the dark about the 'couples' night' on Saturday.

Suigetsu moved past Naruto, stuffing his hands in his pockets and hunching his shoulders.

"You're not getting any curry bread?" Naruto asked, trying to be courteous. He immediately regretted opening his mouth when purple eyes suddenly turned on him and narrowed.

"What are you, my mom?" Suigetsu asked in a passive tone before continuing on his way.

"What the hell is his problem?" Kiba growled. If there was one thing Naruto knew for certain about Kiba, it was that the dog lover absolutely, positively _hated_ people who were cold and rude. Especially to his friends.

"Ignore him. He's in a bad mood because the curry bread is deep fried and not baked." Karin said offhandedly, discreetly inching closer to Naruto as he peered into the bin. "Hey," she whispered, waiting for blue eyes to turn to her before she spoke again. "You don't have to worry about Suigetsu calling you out, okay? I'm sorry about the stuff he said last night. Sasuke talked to him this morning, so he should be nicer from now on. After all, a friend of Sasuke's is a friend of ours."

Naruto almost wanted to correct her, tell her that it was the other way around, but he didn't have the heart too. Karin was such a sweet girl, and she didn't have to try to defend Suigetsu like that. Naruto could see the two of them becoming good friends. A thought occurred to him and he frowned. "Do the four of you walk to school together or something?"

Karin nodded and once again pushed her glasses upwards, holding them in place with her finger. "We all live in the same area, so it's easier that way."

Naruto nodded slowly and looked back down at the bin. He wasn't sure why he felt uneasy about the idea that Sasuke walked to school with his friends from Otogakure. That was a good thing, right? That they remained in a group so they were less likely to get assaulted? A voice in the back of his mind told him that he was just jealous because he and Sasuke used to meet up and walk to elementary school together. There was no way that was it; to get jealous over something so stupid and trivial…

He reached forward to grab one of the packaged curry breads that weren't crushed, but a pale hand dove beneath his and snatched it. Blue eyes widened a fraction as his brain processed what had just happened. He turned to the thief and pressed his lips in a thin line. "Teme!" he whined. When the hell had he gotten there?

Sasuke looked at him questioningly and held up the package. "Oh, did you want this one?" Despite his expression, the teasing was evident in his tone.

"Yes, jerk!" Naruto swiped at the bread but Sasuke stretched his arm above his head, successfully bringing it out of Naruto's reach. He never thought of Sasuke to be the playful type, but he was clearly enjoying tormenting Naruto with the curry bread. He stopped trying to reach across the bins to get the bread from the other teen, deeming it hopeless, and instead focused on Sasuke himself. "What'd Kakashi sensei want?"

Sasuke's face fell, clearly annoyed that their game had ended so soon, and he tossed the packaged bread to Naruto. "He made me join the library committee, saying it was my obligation to the school."

"You're in the library committee now?" Karin asked, reminding Naruto of her presence behind him. "I'll join too! I have an obligation to the school too!"

Naruto glanced at her, wondering why she wasn't even trying to hide the fact that she was obsessed with the Uchiha. It made him feel bad to have Sasuke's interest focused solely on him, yet at the same time it made him smug. He didn't want to be arrogant about it; he couldn't help it. It was coming naturally to him for some reason. Stupid teme…

As he paid for his bread, Naruto wondered why Sasuke joined the library committee of all the school organizations. There were tons of clubs to pick from, not that Naruto ever showed any interest in them. He just wasn't into staying after school and enduring another activity. He liked being able to leave right after the bell or hang out with his friends, which was why he hated having clean up duty.

He recalled that on the first day Sasuke and his friends came to school, they went to the Kendo club and stole a shinai. Turning to look at Sasuke who was walking behind him with Karin, the red head going on about how well they'd work together in the library, he realized something vital.

Sasuke was walking around with a shinai, beating people up with it and looking downright intimidating. If he actually joined the Kendo team and used the shinai properly, maybe then he'd be able to blow off all that steam and apply his skills to the sport. It would keep him off the streets and definitely give Naruto a peace of mind.

"What are you staring at, moron?" Sasuke asked, ignoring Karin's jabbering.

"You should join the Kendo team." Naruto blurted out.

Karin regarded Naruto for a moment before turning to Sasuke. "He's right, you'd be the best on the team."

Sasuke's face was passive, whether because of the idea or Karin's urging Naruto wasn't sure. "Hn."

"Just a suggestion," Naruto shrugged his shoulders and faced forward again so that he could see where he was going in the hallway. It occurred to him briefly that he had left Kiba and the others in the cafeteria along with Jugo, but he dismissed it. "If you do join, I'll go to your matches and cheer you on."

He wasn't sure if he was trying to bribe Sasuke because he really wanted to see him join the sport, or because he secretly wanted to test out how deep Sasuke's feelings for him ran. When they were younger Naruto had always sought the Uchiha's approval in his activities, and Sasuke would always turn around and best him at it. Now that he was older and had a more mature outlook on things, he realized that Sasuke had also been in his position. He competed against Naruto because Naruto was the only one whose opinion mattered to Sasuke. Hopefully that was still in effect to this day…

"Okay," Sasuke said.

Naruto hummed questioningly, turning to look at the raven-haired teen.

"I'll join Kendo."

The grin that stretched on Naruto's lips was so wide that it made his eyes close. He completely missed the slight discoloration on Sasuke's cheeks.

* * *

><p>Sasuke slipped out of his shoes and stepped into the hallway, coming to an immediate halt. A tall man with a strange, orange mask that had lines spiraling from the single eyehole on the right side stopped as well and tilted his head to the side.<p>

"Ah, it's Uchibi-kun!" the masked man announced to himself.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the nickname (more like an insult in his mind), and he folded his arms over his chest. "Don't call me that. What are you doing here?"

"Me? I was visiting your brother of course." The man's tone became much more subtle, and he stepped to the side to bypass the younger Uchiha. He reached a hand out to pat Sasuke on the shoulder, but Sasuke shifted out of the way, nearly pressing himself against the wall. "I see you're going to Konoha High," he said, his only visible eye roaming over the light blue uniform. "Have you been reunited with your old friends?"

Sasuke remained completely silent, his expression steeled.

"That's good," the man said as if Sasuke had answered him anyway. "I'd like to meet your childhood friends one day."

"_Tobi_," a voice said behind the masked man, grabbing both his and Sasuke's attention. "You were leaving."

Sasuke visibly relaxed at his Itachi's presence, and he continued down the hallway and into the kitchen.

That man always got on Sasuke's nerves whenever he was around. It was as if Tobi enjoyed getting under his skin, invading his brain and pulling out horrible memories that haunted Sasuke at night. He didn't want Tobi near him, near his friends, near Naruto…

Tobi knew things about him that not even Sasuke wanted to think about.

His time in Otogakure was a black haze that followed him, weighing on his back. It even had a specific taste that filled his mouth when he thought of it; a rubbery dank taste that made him physically ill. And the only time he was free from these heavy thoughts was when he was in the presence of the sun, which had taken on a human form and sat behind him in class. But that sun, that _moronic _light, had to keep bringing up that gloomy cloud that tried to shroud him everywhere he went.

Why couldn't Naruto just leave the subject alone? Couldn't he see that Sasuke was happy and at peace in his presence and didn't want to talk about Otogakure?

A hand rested gently on Sasuke's shoulder and he tensed, turning to look at his brother's passive expression. He frowned and batted the hand away. "Why was _he_ here?"

"You know I don't like it any more than you do." Itachi sighed, watching his brother open the refrigerator and pull out a can of coffee. "I'm trying to keep an eye on him." He was met with the popping of the tab on the can, and then silence as Sasuke took a large gulp of the drink. "How was school? You're back earlier than usual."

Sasuke glanced at his brother, expecting to see an accusing stare to be directed at him, as if Itachi didn't believe that he had gone to school at all. When there wasn't anything indicating an allegation, he lowered the drink from his lips. "My homeroom teacher made me join the library committee."

Itachi made a noise in his throat that sounded almost appreciative.

Sasuke gulped down the rest of the coffee and rinsed the can out in the sink. "I'm going to join the Kendo team."

Itachi lifted an eyebrow at the announcement. "This is sudden. Any reason as to why? Not that I disapprove. I'm glad that you'll be spending your time more wisely." He didn't flinch under the heated glare sent his way.

Sasuke sighed and lowered his gaze to the floor. He might as well be honest with his brother; there was no point in lying and saying that he was suddenly interested in a sport that he hadn't cared less about all his life. "Naruto said I should."

There was silence, and Sasuke looked up to see that his older brother was smirking knowingly. Damn it, he hated it when Itachi was able to dissect and figure out his thought process. The man knew exactly why Sasuke joined the team, and it wasn't because someone suggested it. It was because of _who_ suggested it.

"I'm going to my room to do my homework." Sasuke said, having had enough of his brother's taunting gaze.

"Would you like me to bring up your dinner?" Itachi asked, following his brother to the stairs.

"No, I'll get something later." Sasuke answered quickly and hurried up the stairs. He closed his bedroom door behind him and dropped his school bag on the floor next to his desk. He was in the middle of pulling out his books needed for tonight when his cell phone vibrated in his pants pocket. Assuming it was Suigetsu or Karin trying to contact him to hang out, he ignored it until he was finished setting up. Finally pulling out his phone, he felt the corner of his lip twitch upwards at the text message on his screen.

_Teme have you started on Iruka sensei's homework? It's haaard! HELP! –Dobe, 17:12_

A distraught face with slash marks for arms raised up decorated the end of the sentence. This idiot; when he could be spending time working on trying to figure out the homework he was busy making stupid emoticons. Sasuke quickly typed a reply and sent it without hesitation.

_Have you even attempted the homework yet? I doubt it._

The response was almost immediate, and Sasuke wondered if he was going to be able to start his own work anytime soon.

_Of course I've attempted it! Bastard! –Dobe, 17:12_

Sasuke replied just as quick.

_Figure it out yourself._

He sat there staring at his phone for a few seconds, anticipating its signal that he had received a new text. However, it never came and he worked on his homework in silence the rest of the night before going to bed early.

When he woke up in the morning, he saw that he had received a text at midnight.

_Sorry! I didn't hear my phone go off! You're such an asshole! I'm going to kick your ass next time I see you! –Dobe, 24:03_

Sasuke smirked.

* * *

><p>"Morning!" Naruto sang, running to catch up to the three teenagers walking ahead of him.<p>

Shikamaru, Ino and Choji all stopped to wait for him, forming a sort of triangle that made Naruto hesitant to join. The three of them had been together since they were infants, their fathers having been best friends in high school and college, and following into their adult lives.

Naruto envied their connection. When he was younger, he wondered if his parents had had any high school friends with children his age. If they did, the parents probably did everything they could to keep their kids away from Naruto. Most parents did.

"Naruto?" Ino asked, waving a hand in front of his face.

The blond-haired boy snapped out of his depressing thoughts, shaking his head to force himself back into reality. "Sorry. Um, morning."

"You already said that." Ino said, turning on her heels to continue forward. The other two boys followed suite as though they were trained to do so.

"R-right…" Naruto muttered.

Ino looked over her shoulder apologetically for her snappy tone. "Have you heard the rumor going around?"

Naruto could tell that Shikamaru and Choji immediately tuned her out at the word 'rumor', leaving him to be the only one to receive the information. Jerks. "No, what is it?"

Ino fell to the back of the group to walk next to Naruto, grateful for the willing listener. "Okay, so I heard some first year talking about her big sister in university. Apparently her sister shouted that she loved her boyfriend from the top of Hokage Mountain, and now her and her boyfriend are getting married!"

Naruto blinked, expecting the girl to continue speaking. When nothing more came, he frowned. "That's the rumor?"

"No, the rumor is," Ino looked around as if to see if anyone was listening. Naruto doubted it was that big of a deal, but he knew how girls got about this stuff. "If you shout that you love your crush from the top of Hokage Mountain, you fall in love and eventually get married."

Geez, that was one of the stupidest things he had ever heard. Why did people believe in stuff like that? Sure, Konoha wasn't the most exciting town to live in, but there was no need to give young girls false hopes in getting married to their immature crushes. "But the girl was already dating the guy. They were bound to get married eventually, right?"

"That's not the point, Naruto!" Ino smacked him on the arm. "It's supposed to be romantic and magical!"

"In that case you should go up there and yell Shik-maormph!" Naruto couldn't help but grin into the dainty hands clasped over his mouth. Neither Choji nor Shikamaru were paying attention, he didn't know what Ino was getting so worked up about. It was still fun to tease her, though.

Naruto looked on ahead where the star of the rumor rose proudly above the houses, apartments and industrial buildings. Hokage Mountain was known mainly as the western border of Konoha, but to the locals it was a monument to all the Hokages that have governed the town. About twenty years ago, it had been turned into a tourist attraction and now people could hike up the steep stairs on the side of it where they could have picnics and view all of Konoha with binoculars. It was rare that anyone who lived in Konoha itself ever went there, Naruto having not been up there once in his life.

The idea that it bestowed the ability to play matchmaker was just ridiculous to Naruto. Anyone who went up there and yelled their crush's name was just a fool embarrassing themselves.

His phone buzzed in his pocket and Naruto excused himself from Ino to read the text he had just received.

_Are you at school? –Teme, 7:44_

What did the teme want so early in the morning? Was he actually at school before Naruto for once? Somehow that sounded backwards in Naruto's head; Naruto was supposed to be the one who was always late for class while Sasuke sat patiently in his desk. Not that Sasuke was ever late; he just seemed to have punctual timing when it came to arriving right before the bell rang.

Naruto typed that he was almost there and shoved his phone back in his pocket. Barely half a minute passed before his phone went off again, Ino looking at him in interest since Naruto rarely ever used his phone unless Sakura or Kiba needed to get in touch with him. Even that was uncommon because they were always making plans in person at school.

_I'm on the roof. Don't make me wait. –Teme, 7:45_

Naruto's eyes bulged at the message, and he quickly turned off the screen of his phone when Ino leaned over to look at the message. "Ever heard of privacy?" he hissed, though he wasn't angry with her at all. He was embarrassed that Sasuke was implying that he wanted to meet Naruto on the roof of the school.

"Oh I've heard of it. I just don't observe it." Ino smirked challengingly.

Naruto chuckled and shook his head at the girl. "Well, I've gotta run. I'll see you guys at school!" He didn't wait for them to ask why or say goodbye before he broke into a sprint down the sidewalk.

"Wow, he really did have to run." Choji said lamely, earning a grunt from the other boy next to him.

Naruto reached the school in no time due to his running. It had earned him quite a few stares, mostly because it looked like he was late for school when he really had twenty minutes before classes started. He almost forgot to put his uwabaki on in his rush, slamming the locker shut after he put his shoes inside it.

He hopped on one foot as he tried to adjust the heel of one of the slippers, reminding him of when he was late for school last week; that day when Sasuke appeared from nowhere, like a ghost, and rearranged Naruto's life completely. To think that just a week ago today, Sasuke had been nonexistent in his life and now Naruto was rushing to meet him on the roof.

What did Sasuke want, he wondered to himself. He was already at the door that led to the rooftop when he paused, reconsidering what he was doing. He had just run all the way here like a mad man. He was panting heavily, and his heart was beating rapidly in his chest. And for what? To meet with Sasuke who he would see in class anyway twenty minutes from now? What the hell was wrong with him? But…he didn't want to keep Sasuke waiting.

Sucking in a deep breath, Naruto pushed open the heavy door and stepped onto the roof. The morning air was cool, and it felt good on Naruto's overheated body. He soaked it in for a bit, calming himself before moving further out onto the roof to look for Sasuke.

"Over here." Sasuke's deep voice called from behind him, and Naruto spun around to face the lounging boy. Sasuke's appearance was relaxed as he leaned his back against the wall, his school bag next to him.

Naruto squatted down in front of him, intensely studying his calm composure. "What did you call me up here for, teme?" he asked quietly, not wanting to disturb the other boy.

Sasuke dug into his pocket and pulled out his phone, flipping it open to reveal a text from his inbox that he had open.

_Teme have you started on Iruka sensei's homework? It's haaard! HELP! –Dobe, Yesterday_

Naruto frowned at the name for him in Sasuke's contacts, but he couldn't be mad because he did the exact same thing. "Are you here to make fun of me?"

Sasuke shook his head and pulled his bag closer to him. He unzipped it and removed a white notebook, holding it out to Naruto. "All the answers are there. If you hurry you can copy them before classes start."

Naruto couldn't believe this. Sasuke was actually offering to let him copy his homework! On one hand, Naruto wanted to ask if he was feeling okay. Sasuke had _never_ let Naruto cheat off of him in elementary school. On the other hand, Sasuke was showing that he cared about Naruto's academics enough to let him copy his homework! That just proved that Sasuke didn't only care about him as a physical attraction.

Naruto smiled warmly and placed his hand on top of the notebook, lowering it back to Sasuke. "Thanks, but I was able to figure it out on my own last night. But this means a lot, so thank you."

Before he could stop himself, Naruto scooted forward on his feet and tilted his head to the right as he neared Sasuke's face. He had to put his hands on the wall on either side of Sasuke's head to keep his balance as he closed in on the other's lips.

Just like the other night, sparks raced across Naruto's lips, making them tingle and almost numb to the feeling Sasuke's. He applied more pressure, pressing one soft mouth to the other.

He could feel Sasuke twitch against him and he pulled away, staring into glazed eyes that seemed both tired and alert at the same time. It took all of Naruto's willpower now to rush forward and embrace Sasuke like a small child.

Sasuke's expression had been pained and intrigued; his body relaxed and tense. He was a physical contradiction, a clear visual of his inner tumult. He was thinking too hard, he wasn't thinking at all; his mind was numb.

All in all, he looked like a lost puppy and it almost frightened Naruto. Sasuke could look damaged from a simple kiss? Or was he just shocked that Naruto had made the first move?

Now that Naruto thought about it, Sasuke didn't seem to like Naruto touching him the way he touched Naruto. When he had offered to return the favor for Sasuke, the boy had rejected him immediately. When he pushed Sasuke against the wall yesterday, Sasuke shoved him back. And now that Naruto had kissed him unexpectedly, he emerged as a shattered, incomplete human.

Something wasn't right. For as persistent as Sasuke was in kissing and touching Naruto, why did he resist the same affection back?

"Sasuke…" Naruto whispered, snapping the Uchiha back to reality.

"Hn," Sasuke's hand gripped at the lapel of Naruto's school jacket and yanked him forward.

Their mouths collided painfully, but Naruto seemed to be the only one who minded. Having not expected the sudden kiss, he immediately pushed against Sasuke. "What are you doing?" Naruto growled, wiping his moist lips with the sleeve of his school blazer.

Sasuke lifted an eyebrow in lazy questioning, ticking Naruto off even more.

"Open up to me, Sasuke! Something's bothering you, right? You don't like me touching you, and I want to know why!" Naruto placed his hands back on the wall so that he could keep Sasuke in the same place.

Sasuke didn't say a word. He gazed up at Naruto with a closed off stare. He swallowed, a natural occurrence for any human being, but he had been so still that the simple action drew Naruto's eyes down to his neck.

And that's when Naruto noticed it. It was barely visible beneath the white collar of the school shirt, but it was too dark to be a shadow that it made it obvious enough to Naruto. He removed his right hand from the wall and gently pulled at the collar.

Sasuke didn't stop him, already knowing exactly what he was looking at.

"Sasuke…is that a tattoo?"

"What else would it be, idiot?"

Naruto was in too much shock to register the insult. "Sasuke, why do you have a tattoo?" He hadn't meant to shout, but he couldn't help it. It was a simple design; three black tomoe. Where had he seen this symbol before? It was recent, but he couldn't remember when and where.

Sasuke stared at him as though he hadn't registered what Naruto had asked, or he was choosing to purposefully ignore him.

"Sasuke-"

"A brand,"

"Huh?" Naruto swallowed to wet his throat. Was Sasuke saying what Naruto thought he was saying?

Sasuke exhaled loudly through his nose, his annoyance evident. His face darkened, like he was both physically and mentally depressed. Naruto put a steady hand on his shoulder as if to take hold of him in case he disappeared, and to remind him that he wasn't alone. He was with Naruto, his light. "You said you wanted to know about my past…"

Naruto swallowed thickly, and nodded as though he were confirming that fact for Sasuke.

"Well listen up," Sasuke said. "This tattoo is a brand, and a sick reminder of the group I was in. Itachi is going to get rid of it for me soon, so you won't be seeing it for long."

Naruto's mouth felt as dry as a desert. Sasuke was…branded? Just what kind of gang was he in? And by getting it removed, did that mean that Sasuke was no longer a part of the group? But Karin and Suigetsu and Jugo were still there! He was still beating people up and walking around late at night like a delinquent. "Sasuke-"

"I don't want you trying to find out about my time away from Konoha. Can't you just move on?" Sasuke snapped, suddenly becoming defensive. The shadows from the chain link fence cast on his face made him look like repeatedly betrayed and untrustworthy caged animal.

But Naruto didn't want to argue with him about that at the moment. What would be the point, anyway? Sasuke had his mind set on shutting Naruto out of that part. It was going to take a lot of urging to get the Uchiha to open up to him completely. Heck, even as kids, Sasuke never once told him that his parents were _murdered_. And they would tell each other everything! Or at least Naruto told Sasuke everything…just how much had Sasuke been holding back all these years?

Instead of trying to pry further, Naruto merely leaned forward and kissed the tattoo. It was a dry kiss, but it still made his heart flutter because Sasuke's skin was so warm and soft. He probably felt like that all over.

Sasuke grunted and waited patiently for Naruto to look at him again. Once the blond pulled back, he fixed his school uniform so that the black tattoo was completely invisible. "The bell is going to ring soon."

"Yeah," Naruto didn't want to get up and go to class. Sasuke looked at him pointedly and Naruto snapped out of his stupor. "I-I mean…yeah! Okay, teme! I'll see you in class! Don't forget that you have your first library committee meeting today after school! And try outs for the Kendo team start the Tuesday after Golden Week!"

Sasuke rubbed his temple, clearly not too pleased with Naruto's sudden booming voice. "I already knew all that. I don't need a personal bulletin board, moron."

Naruto stood up and kicked Sasuke's legs, only to be retaliated and hit in the shin painfully. "Bastard!" he growled, rubbing at his sore leg. He kicked Sasuke again and immediately jumped out of the way so the boy couldn't get him back. "Oh, and we should hang out during Golden Week," he said with a brilliant smile. "Like the good old days."

Sasuke didn't say anything in return, but Naruto knew that he would consent to it anyway.

He waved to the other boy and entered the alcove where the stairs were located. Halfway down, Naruto stopped and leaned his right side against the wall, pressing his hands to his burning cheeks.

Damn Sasuke. Damn him! That stupid prick was making him do the weirdest things, like kissing his neck.

He was just so confused…

* * *

><p><strong>This is possibly the worst chapter so far. A lot happened in it, but at the same time nothing happened at all. I kind of wanted to get some things out in it, like Sasuke's POV, Itachi…Tobi who is just going to be known as 'Tobi' because no one knows who the fuck he is. He is 'no one' apparently.<strong>

**I'm sure it has a lot of mistakes, but I'll get to those later.**

**Anyways, I'm not happy with this chapter _at all_, but the next chapter is looking great and, dare I say, _sexy_.**

**Okay, I'm going to just go now.**


	7. Kissing

**Disclaimer: My name isn't Masashi Kishimoto, so I guess that means I don't own Naruto. Crap.**

**AN: I'm sorry I've been terrible at updating. Things have been a little rough and I lost all motivation. I was all, "Writing? What's that?"**

**I gave myself _two_ set dates to post this chapter, my birthday back in January and then Valentine's Day, but obviously I didn't make it for either of them.**

**A few people were nice enough to remind me on Tumblr to update, so if you guys are reading this, thank you. I don't think I could have gotten the motivation to write again if it wasn't for y'all.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seven<strong>

**Kissing**

_Suigetsu watched the other boy sit down a few feet away from him on the sea wall that was Otogakure's northern border. His eyes trailed over the pale boy wearing completely black attire. His heart shuddered in his chest and he looked out into the dark water that was painted orange in patches from the street lamps. He tried to keep his voice steady as he spoke. "You actually did it, huh?"_

_Sasuke exhaled deeply and slid his hands into his jacket pocket, his thumb gliding over the wet surface of the blade._

_The white-haired boy swallowed and straightened his back. "I always hated him. The things he did…" Maybe it was just a trick of the headlights that rolled over Sasuke's face that moment, but Suigetsu could have sworn that there was empathy in the Uchiha's eyes. He looked back out at the water, the urge to jump down from the sea wall and run across the gravel, filled with broken bottles and aluminum cans, to be swallowed by the water seeming less appealing than ever before now that he was free. "Did he ever…"_

_"I never let him have the chance." Sasuke said, his words barbed and shamed though he didn't mean to hurt Suigetsu. It was difficult to do so anyway, but it was possible in his current moment of weakness. This was the first time Sasuke had ever seen him get like this and he didn't know how to respond. He decided not to act any differently than usual._

_"Heh," Suigetsu bowed his head, his hair protecting his face from unwanted eyes. "I wish I was the one that did it and not you."_

_Sasuke took his hand off the knife in pocket. He rubbed his fingers together, spreading the sticky liquid on the pads of his thumb and middle finger. "I'm going back home. I can't stay here."_

_Suigetsu looked at him again, annoyed by the impassive teen. "I'll go with you."_

_Sasuke turned his eyes on the boy, not quite ready to argue but reluctant._

_"Without him there's nowhere for me to go. That's your fault, you know."_

_Sasuke pushed himself up and took a step closer to Suigetsu. He suddenly drew out the butcher knife from his hoodie pocket and pointed the tip at Suigetsu's forehead._

_"Shit!" Suigetsu whispered, leaning his head back to look up at Sasuke's face. Steely black eyes returned his stare, one eyebrow lifted. His gaze flickered from the boy to the bloodied weapon._

_Sasuke slowly put the blade back in his pocket just before a car passed them. "Be at my house tomorrow with your things. Tell the others."_

_Suigetsu watched him leave; only sighing in relief when Sasuke was across the street and completely out of sight. Sometimes he wondered about that guy. While he didn't suspect Sasuke of being mentally unstable, he definitely had a…different way of thinking; his own style, that was certain. But he was strong, Suigetsu would give him that. He didn't let Orochimaru take advantage of him, in every sense known to man, and in the end Sasuke was the one who trumped that bastard._

_He twisted the fabric of his gray sweatpants in his tight fists. Damn it, _he_ should have wasted that sonovabitch! Not Sasuke, that little prick who hadn't been subjected to the torture that the others have! He was Orochimaru's favorite, the prodigy._

_Go figure that the one Orochimaru worked hardest to please would end up turning on him._

* * *

><p>Suigetsu narrowed his eyes. Why had he even been thinking about that? Man, he really needed this. He needed to swim to clear his head.<p>

So without further ado, he stretched the school issued goggles over his swim cap and allowed them to smack him in the face. He only adjusted them slightly before getting into position and diving forward into the pool.

* * *

><p>Sasuke closed the gate to his house and turned to look at the two people waiting for him patiently. "Where's Suigetsu?"<p>

Karin took Sasuke's right arm immediately and began walking along with him down the sidewalk, Jugo following behind them like an old, loyal dog. "He had to leave before us for practice. He joined the swim team. Did you know that the school doesn't have a swim team for girls?"

Sasuke didn't say anything, knowing full well that Karin didn't like swimming anyway so it shouldn't matter to her. Suigetsu must have heard from Karin that Sasuke was joining a sports team and took the liberty of finding one for himself, too. Sasuke supposed that was a good thing; he wouldn't have to babysit them anymore.

He grimaced at his own thought.

He didn't honestly think of them as children that he had to watch over, but sometimes it did feel like they leaned a lot more weight on him than they themselves meant to. Not to mention Karin and Suigetsu's constant bickering and Jugo's anger management. He didn't look like it, but the big guy could throw quite a tantrum if the right buttons were pushed.

He glanced down at Karin's clutch on his arm, vaguely wondering why it didn't feel like there was anyone there. It was as if his arm was dangling awkwardly at his side, the girl a mere phantom or memory.

When Naruto touched him, his nerves would rupture and come to life, sometimes making him lightheaded. He couldn't handle Naruto trying to be intimate with him; Sasuke had to touch _him_, not the other way around.

He couldn't explain it other than it was overwhelming to have Naruto's affection. Naruto was an embodiment of raw emotion that was contagious. All he had to do was touch Sasuke, Naruto's sentiments sinking in through his pores, and the raven-haired boy would lose control; hence, their kiss leading to something that Sasuke hadn't exactly planned on executing that night.

Naruto could be a tad intense and get ahead of himself, like when he actually considered giving Sasuke a blowjob in return. The moron was brand new to being with another male; did he really think Sasuke would let him go that far?

There was simply no way he'd allow Naruto to have that sort of power over him anyway. But damn, every touch shook Sasuke to his core, and he had to do everything in his power not to rush everything with Naruto.

He recalled how his chest had ached saying goodbye to Naruto the day before he left for Otogakure. Before everything changed and went to hell. What he would give to go back to those simple times when Naruto's smile didn't pain him with need; when Naruto was just his friend disguised as his rival. He wasn't even sure himself how it happened, but that kiss was his undoing.

Maybe if his conceit hadn't pushed him into being Naruto's first kiss, which seemed like a practical joke to him at the time, he wouldn't have become focused on the idiot in such a way for the five years that followed.

"Sasuke?" Karin released Sasuke's arm at the reserved look he gave her, adjusting her glasses. She combed her fingers through her hair, doing anything to appear preoccupied. She glanced over at his neck, studying the clear pale skin, and frowned. "You haven't gotten your tattoo removed yet?"

Sasuke refused to acknowledge her question. It wasn't any of her business whether or not he got it removed. What was she doing looking there anyway?

"Ah, I just noticed that your skin wasn't red, so I thought you couldn't have gotten rid of it yet." Karin said in a hushed tone.

"Don't look at me so closely."

It was bad enough that he was going to have to keep the stupid thing from now on. How could he possibly get rid of something that Naruto _kissed_?

He felt sick to his stomach, knowing how whipped he was. It was humiliating, even more so knowing that he was the one being self-conscious about it even if he didn't show it.

He slipped his hands into his pants pockets, noting that he had forgotten his phone. He debated whether or not he should go back for it, since they were only a couple blocks from his house now, but he didn't really see the point.

It wasn't like he'd need it for school.

* * *

><p>Naruto slid the screen of his phone up, staring at it as if willing the little green character on his phone to show up, notifying him that he had a new message. He didn't understand; Sasuke was usually quick with responding to his phone. Why wasn't he answering?<p>

"Bastard…" he muttered to himself. The asshole probably thought that a simple good morning text was beneath him to reply to and ignored it. Or this could be a test. Sasuke was probably playing some stupid mind game with him, like when they were kids and he would test Naruto's 'will and courage'.

One time, when they were ten, he took it as far as seeing who could stand on one of the wooden posts in the park the longest without losing their balance. He made Naruto stay there for four hours, using the excuse that Itachi wanted him home for lunch to leave.

And even though Naruto had honestly stood there the whole time, his legs threatening to give out on him after about two hours, Sasuke said that he didn't _see _him do it, so he didn't believe him and therefore it did not count.

Well fine, if he was going to be like that, then Naruto could do the same! If Sasuke expected a verbal greeting that morning then he could wait all he wanted, but he wasn't going to get one.

Even with his mind made up, Naruto still turned his head at the sound of the door opening, almost grinning at Sasuke walking through the door. He immediately turned back in his seat, glaring out the window so that he didn't have to look at the arrogant jerk.

Without a word, Sasuke sat at his desk just like he did every morning, looking like a perfectly normal teenager with his stupid haircut. Yes, it was stupid! _Beyond stupid_, he thought. Of course it was early, and his brain wasn't really supplying him with any better insults for Sasuke's head. If it was the afternoon, he was sure he'd win an award for all the synonyms he could list off in the description of the raven-haired boy.

Realizing that he was glaring death at the back of Sasuke's head, as if willing the queer strands that stuck out to droop, he quickly returned to the window.

He propped his head up with his hand, imagining that the Uchiha was sulking at being denied his usual morning ritual of Naruto shouting in his ear. Yeah right, the ass was probably grateful and thanking the gods above for the peace and quiet. That just annoyed Naruto even more! He wanted the Uchiha to suffer! Or at least turn around and acknowledge that Naruto was being quieter than usual.

_Turn around! Hey! Damn it! Hey you! Turn around! Look at me! Be sad! Tear up and display unfathomable sorrow due to me not telling you 'good morning'!_

Wait, why was he pining so much for Sasuke's attention? It wasn't like he cared if Sasuke was…why did he keep lying to himself? He couldn't even complete that thought because he knew it was utter deceit. How bad was it that he couldn't even convince himself that he held little to no interest in the Uchiha?

Not that he'd let Sasuke know, of course.

As classes went on that day, Naruto made sure to pester Sasuke stealthily but effectively, making sure that he never caught the teacher or any other students' attention. Heck, half the time not even Sasuke noticed what he was doing, which was specifically gathering up eraser residue from his notebook into his hand and blowing it onto the back of Sasuke's hair and school blazer.

He snickered to himself, knowing that Sasuke was going to feel like a fool when he walked down the hallway and someone pointed out his dirty appearance. Or maybe he'd pull off a dignified grunt and wipe himself off wordlessly, not even thanking the other individual for pointing out his minor flaw.

Sometimes Sasuke was so predictable that no one knew what he was going to do next. He was very cunning that even if Naruto was sure he understood Sasuke down to his core, or at least the Sasuke he knew five years ago, he still couldn't pinpoint his exact reaction to situations. Though, generally, he would be in the ballpark. For example, pranks irked Sasuke, no matter what it was, but the degree of the prank altered his reaction.

However, not being able to decide how Sasuke would respond to the knowledge of eraser shavings on him ruined the fun for Naruto.

He leaned forward and gently began brushing off the pieces on Sasuke's back with his fingertips, the material of the blazer sending a slight hum through his nerves. He peeked up at the teacher who turned around to write on the board. Just as they raised the dry erase marker to the board, Sasuke faced him, lifting a notebook in his left hand.

Naruto resisted the urge to flinch in fear of being smacked with the book, only to be yanked forward by his shirt collar. Their lips melded together in an awkward fit with noses bumping and chins scraping.

Naruto could feel the proximity of the book covering their daring, intimate act in the middle of class from bored and wandering eyes. The kiss lasted longer in his mind than in actuality. Sasuke pulled back after barely a few seconds, turning in his desk to look at the board while Naruto remained slouched over the surface of his desk with a burning face and tingling lips.

His chest was light and bubbly, like he was going to float right out of his chair (he wrapped his fingers around the sides of his desk just in case). What the hell was that? Sasuke had just kissed him! In the middle of class, no less, with twenty other kids around that could have witnessed if a book hadn't been in the way! Sakura was only ten feet away. What would she have thought?

As a precaution, he glanced in her general direction but the studious girl was staring intently at the chemical bonds formula on the board. Everybody was minding their own business, one kid even absorbed in his own world and the PSP on his lap.

No one would believe him if he told them that Sasuke Uchiha had just kissed him. Why did he kiss Naruto anyway? Did he think Naruto was trying to get his attention while brushing off the eraser shavings? Speaking of which, there was still a lot collected on his back and hair.

Forget it; the pervert could walk around with crap on him for all Naruto cared! He deserved it.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Sasuke!" Naruto slapped a hand on the raven-haired boy's shoulder just as they got to the landing between stairs. He didn't wait for Sasuke to turn around completely, he wanted to get his voice out before Sasuke looked at him with any kind of annoyed glare. And he <em>was<em> going to give Naruto an annoyed glare, he just knew it. "Why did you-mmph?"

What was going on with Sasuke today? First he ignored Naruto's good morning text, and now he was kissing him for a _second_ time! This time, Naruto's bottom lip was caught between Sasuke's, and the Uchiha sucked on it gently, causing Naruto's eyelids to droop and his nose to clog. He couldn't breathe, he didn't want to.

He barely felt the warm fingers touching his cheek, his senses focused solely on the delicate sucks to his lip. His attention span was short enough without the help of this bastard, but he couldn't bring himself to cease the affections from the usually stoic teen. Not just yet.

Naruto scraped his teeth over Sasuke's upper lip, gripping his shoulders tightly and forcing him back into the corner, the joined walls forcing Sasuke's arms to fold inward a bit due to Naruto's force. As he anticipated, Sasuke tensed up at the returned attention. Yet, instead of pulling back, long pale arms wrapped around his waist, resting just above the mound of his rear. They were stiff, and he didn't put the full weight of them on Naruto, nor use them to pull him closer, but it did seem he was making a conscious effort to be more tolerant.

Hips rolled strongly into Naruto's, shaking his resolve. He leaned his head back slightly so he could speak. "Wait, Sas-"

"Shh." The Uchiha shoved him off immediately, fixing his blazer and looking away from Naruto just as another student, a second year, came down the stairs quickly. They were obviously in a hurry and didn't spare any attention towards the two boys loitering on the landing.

Good thing, too, because Naruto's face was red and he was out of breath. It would have been a questionable sight to anyone who stopped to size him up.

Adjusting his own blazer around his neck, he glared at the Uchiha. "What the hell has gotten into you?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I could ask you the same thing, considering what you did just now." Damn, he had a point there. So what, Naruto got swept up in the moment; it wasn't his fault Sasuke ignited his hormones with every touch.

"Yeah, but you started it!" Naruto said dumbly. Leave him alone, it was still early and his brain wasn't working at full capacity yet. If one asked Sasuke, he would say that it never worked at full capacity.

"You finished it." Sasuke supplied, keeping his voice low and even; it spurred Naruto on even more.

"I'm pretty sure you finished it." Naruto debated, folding his arms over his chest and spreading his legs in a power stance.

"Well I'm pretty sure you're wrong." Sasuke mimicked his arms.

Sighing, Naruto took a step closer to the other boy. "Look, let's just agree that we never finished it and therefore the blame is all on you because you're the one who started it."

"You're an idiot." Sasuke easily dodged the punch aimed at him. Even if he had let it hit him, he knew it wouldn't have mattered because Naruto didn't really want to hurt him.

Naruto uncurled the fist and brought to the back of his head, twisting his fingers around in his hair. "I'm being serious, now. What are you doing? You ignored my good morning text, and now you're kissing me in class and on the stairs…"

"Text?" Sasuke slipped his hand into his pants pocket, remembering that he had left it on its charger in his bedroom. "I forgot my phone today. Is that why you wouldn't speak to me this morning? You're so immature."

"_I'm_ immature?" Naruto gaped. "I'm not the one kissing you in front of the entire homeroom! What if someone had seen us?"

"No one saw us."

"But what if someone had?"

"No one saw us, therefore your hypothesis is meaningless. Stop making excuses."

Naruto sputtered a bit. "Excuses? You haven't even answered my question yet!"

Sasuke titled his head to the side, raising an eyebrow questioningly. "I did answer your question."

"No, not the one that matters!" Geez, this guy was insufferable sometimes! He was purposefully messing with Naruto and avoiding the main point of this entire conversation they shouldn't even be having because they're supposed to be in the classroom, changing for PE. "Why are you kissing me so much today?"

Sasuke's face was blank, hinting that he wasn't sure why Naruto was questioning him. "I kissed you yesterday, didn't I?"

Naruto wanted to punch him for bringing that up.

Sasuke had followed him to the store yesterday after school, his stupid cronies insisting that they come along as well. They were in the ramen aisle, Suigetsu and Karin bickering two aisles over with Jugo trying to be the mediator, when Sasuke suddenly pressed his lips against the corner of Naruto's mouth. Naruto had dropped the two cups of instant ramen he was trying to decide between, and immediately gave into him. He still wasn't very controlled with his reactions yet, so when Sasuke opened his mouth, Naruto was already following suit.

They probably would have lasted longer if Karin and Suigetsu hadn't rounded the corner, demanding Sasuke to tell them who was right about whatever they were arguing about. Good thing Naruto and Sasuke had heard them coming otherwise they would have been caught in an awkward situation. And Naruto wasn't very good at coming up with excuses, especially to hide the obvious.

Naruto sighed, not exactly displeased with Sasuke kissing him. He just wished the jerk would find a better time to do it, like in private and _not_ in front of the entire homeroom. Yeah, that sounded good.

"Look, just…_stop_ doing it when people are around, okay?" Naruto huffed. He knew Sasuke was trying to ease him into the idea of them being in a relationship, but Naruto wasn't ready for people to find out. He was so unsure of the territory they were treading that he didn't want an audience there to judge him while he faltered and stumbled.

Sasuke seemed to take this into deep consideration before nodding, relief flowing through Naruto. "Fine."

Grinning, Naruto patted Sasuke's shoulder reassuringly, as if praising him. "Good. Let's go change for PE, kay?"

They returned to the classroom together to be greeted with all the other boys leaving.

"Naruto, where were you? Hurry up and get dressed…? Uchiha, you too?" Kiba's shifty eyes did not go unnoticed by Sasuke. Something was up, and he knew it, but he wasn't sure if he even wanted to know exactly what was going on between Sasuke and Naruto. "Hurry up and change or Gai sensei is going to make us all run laps after school, and I have a date with Hinata!"

"Only Kiba is the one who thinks it's a date," one boy elbowed another standing next to him.

"Move fast Kiba, before you become _just friends_!"

"Shut up, you guys!" Kiba shouted, chasing after the two boys running for their lives, laughing. The rest of the group walked at a more relaxed pace behind them.

Naruto watched until they were down the stairs and out of sight before turning into the room. Sasuke was already removing his uniform from his bag, his back to Naruto casually.

"We're playing basketball today," he said, trying to make conversation in the quiet room. "Are you ready?"

Sasuke looked at him, glanced around the room, and then returned his eyes to Naruto. "We're alone."

Naruto frowned and also observed the empty classroom, though he had no doubt in his mind that they were indeed alone now that all the other boys had gone down to the gym. "Yeah…"

"You said that I could kiss you when no one was around."

Naruto blanched and turned to fully face Sasuke, the other teen also facing him. "Gah, what is _wrong_ with you? Is that all you ever think about? Swapping spit every chance you get? It's weird, Sasuke! I'm still new to this, and you keep jumping me like a dog in heat! And haven't you kissed me enough today? I thought you said you were going to ease me into it, but this is not easing! Or whatever you call it!"

Sasuke was silent throughout Naruto's tangent, waiting patiently with an impassive expression until he was done. As soon as Naruto exhaled heavily in his exhaustion, signaling that he was finished, he turned back to his uniform and ran hand down the fabric. He muttered something incomprehensible.

"What was that?" Naruto asked, exasperation heavy in his voice.

Endless black pools held Naruto in his spot. "I said it's not enough. Five years of…" Sasuke sighed, shaking his head in dismay. "It's just not enough."

Naruto digested this mutely. That's right, Sasuke had feelings for Naruto for five years, unable to express them due to distance. He'd been holding these urges inside for so long and now that Naruto was letting him express himself, he was like an opened floodgate.

Naruto supposed he could identify with that. He was like Sasuke's new addiction. _'Well now it's going to take a lot _not_ to inflate my ego,'_ Naruto thought.

It was fact that Sasuke was the classic personification of handsome, his dark eyes and hair contrasted his clear, pale skin. He was the center of the universe for the girls in their class back when they were kids. Even now, many girls gazed at him from afar in admiration, some having never gotten over him from back then apparently. Sakura was one of them, but at least she wasn't hounding him as before.

Nonetheless, Sasuke was good-looking and attracted every girl's attention within five miles of him, so Naruto should count his blessings that the Uchiha was engrossed with _him_ and not them.

There was just one problem. Naruto didn't like guys! He never once looked over another male and think that he was attractive. Well, except once, when they were twelve and he saw Sasuke dressed in a suit for a town-wide funeral. What? He looked very spiffy and mature!

But he never thought about kissing another boy before! Actually, after their kiss on the dock, he couldn't get his mind off kissing Sasuke for weeks even after the boy left. And lately, he'd been wondering about kissing Sasuke, how he could get better.

So what? It wasn't like he ever wanted to be in a relationship with a boy! Not until Sasuke brought it up, and now it plagued his mind for the majority of every single day for the past two weeks.

None of this meant that he was gay, right? Perhaps he was only attracted to Sasuke. He was the only boy that Naruto could do any of this with, and by _this_, he meant kissing Sasuke, touching Sasuke, letting Sasuke touch him, letting Sasuke put his mouth on…his…

Naruto's face heated up instantaneously as he thought about Sasuke sucking him off, something he wouldn't mind happening again as long as the departure afterwards was more to his liking.

"Dobe, stop thinking about useless things and get dressed." Sasuke snapped.

Naruto's eyes widened. Could Sasuke read minds? Wait, no, that was stupid. "Shut up, teme! I will have you know that I was debating with myself the making of the universe and all the creatures in it!"

The look he was given assured him that Sasuke didn't believe that for a second.

"Fine, humorless teme," he muttered to himself, then spoke more upfront with the other boy. "If you want to kiss me so much, then tonight…uh…" Damn it, he was losing his nerve. "Um, tonight…you can…come home with me. After you're done with the library committee."

Sasuke visibly swallowed, and he turned back to his PE uniform quickly so that he didn't lose his stony features. He didn't answer Naruto until they were dressed for PE.

"I'll walk you home after I'm done in the library today," he said as he pulled on the blue track jacket.

Naruto glared at him, wondering why Sasuke felt it necessary that he be the one to establish the plans, but he didn't call him out on it. He knew that would just start yet another dispute between them where Naruto was all riled up and Sasuke kept a cool head, making comments about how much an idiot Naruto was.

"Let's go!" he cheered, running to the door of the classroom. "I don't want to run laps for being late!"

Sasuke strolled after him, as if time meant nothing for him and he would be able to make it in time. To say the least, they did make it to the gym in time, two seconds before Gai sensei's dynamic entry.

* * *

><p>Naruto exhaled loudly, drumming a mechanical pencil on the counter as he watched Sasuke shelve books across the room. This was his second time sitting around the library, waiting for Sasuke to finish up. (Secretly, he was making sure he actually came in here and did what he was supposed to.)<p>

However, this time was _extremely_ boring! The first time around, Sasuke had to be shown the ropes by one of the other members, and Naruto and Karin, who had dutifully followed her leader into the library, weren't allowed to walk with them.

They ended up sitting at one of the tables, drawing a comic about a strawberry and doughnut saving a town from a bunch of grapes. It was odd, and they were told several times to stop being so loud due to their laughter.

Naruto had learned that Karin had a secret love for stupid jokes, and he made sure to put in a catastrophe of ridiculous jokes, some of them not even making any sense to him, but they still made her snort with giggles.

He decided then that he liked Karin's company, and hoped that by saving Sasuke from his past, he could inadvertently save her, too. She didn't need to be on the streets, roughhousing and looking tough. She should settle down and find a hobby that interests her. Something other than making comics, though, because neither of them was very good at drawing and Sasuke made sure to state that fact aloud when he approached their table after his first shift was done.

Beside all that, Karin didn't show at the library after school today, so Naruto was left alone to entertain himself. Maybe he could make another comic and show it to Karin next time he saw her…

"Excuse me,"

Naruto forced himself to tear his eyes away from Sasuke so he could answer to the girl with a high ponytail on top of her head. She was clearly a first year; that or she was a very petite second year. Either way, she was cute and in need of assistance.

He turned his entire body to face her and beamed. "Hi there!"

"I need reference material for a Home Ec. project," she said, and began sifting through her bag for something. "Um, I have a list of suggested titles somewhere…"

"Dobe, get out from behind the counter." Sasuke said, yanking the blond by the collar of his blazer. "Committee members only."

The girl stopped in her search, clearly embarrassed that she had been requesting help from someone who didn't work in the library.

"Oh, fancy, teme gets the privilege of standing behind a counter." Naruto lifted his hand in front of his face and wiggled his fingers at the inexpressive teen. "Wish I was that lucky – oof!"

He looked down at the stack of books that were thrust into his chest, his arms coming up to catch them automatically. He glared at Sasuke, waiting for an explanation.

"If you're so eager to help in here then go put those in the fiction section, in order of the author's last name." Sasuke said, and turned to the first year. "I'll help you find what you need." He held out his hand expectantly, waiting for the list she was searching for.

Naruto frowned and left with the books so that he could put them away. He rarely came to the school's library in all his years at Konoha High School, but he at least knew that the fiction books were in the back by the large windows.

He studied the authors' names as he moved down the aisle, stopping when his ears caught onto a conversation on the other side of the bookshelves. He knew those voices anywhere.

"…So that doesn't really matter, right?" Sakura said, clearly anticipating the other girl's answer.

"It shouldn't." Ino said.

Naruto grinned deviously, creeping closer to the end of the shelf so that he could get a clear visual of them. Sasuke would probably be angry, but he couldn't stop his prankster side! He would only jump out at them, scare them a little. It would disturb the peace, but be so worth it!

"I mainly look at shoe size. You know what they say about big feet." Ino continued, entirely unaware of the scheming boy on the other side of the barrier. There was silence, and she sighed. "Big dick," she whispered in confirmation.

Naruto froze in his tracks. Were they really talking about _that_ in the school's library?

"Oh my gosh, _Ino_!" Sakura whined, and Naruto could just imagine the blush that was discoloring the girl's fair skin.

"Oh, come on billboard brow. You were the one who started asking me about this stuff in the first place."

Sakura instigated this particular topic? Naruto always thought she was an innocent girl, naïve to such talk. Now his flawless mental image of her perfection was ruined!

Sakura ignored the nickname. "I know…but I've never looked at Sasuke-kun's feet before. He has long fingers, though."

Naruto had to agree with her there; Sasuke _did_ have long, pretty fingers. He looked down at his school slippers, and then lifted his hands in front of his face. He had large feet and lengthy fingers, too. Not that any of that mattered; he was very proud of the size of his manhood. Wait, what? Why did that even matter? And why was Sakura even worrying about something like that?

"It's the same thing, fingers, big hands and feet…they all lead to the same thing." Ino said quickly.

Naruto thought back to Sasuke rubbing up against him, trying to place an exact length on…whoa! What the hell was he doing? There was no way he was trying to figure out how big Sasuke's junk was!

Why were Ino and Sakura even talking about this? Wasn't this against the rules or something? A girl code forbidding them to even _think_ about penis sizes until after high school? Maybe he was making that up, but still, this was pretty risqué for them.

"Shikamaru has big feet." Ino supplied, and Naruto could tell the girl was blushing from the way her voice dropped. "And long fingers."

Okay, he'd had enough of this. Time to scare them out of a conversation they shouldn't be having in the first place.

He set the books down on the edge of a shelf and bent his knees, ready to jump over to the other opening that the girls were in.

"Think of how deep they could reach…"

"I-Ino!"

Naruto stilled yet again, feeling his stomach twist into a knot and a blush scorch his entire face at the comment he was sure his burning ears were never supposed to hear, _ever_. No boy was supposed to witness this sort of thing, really. It was so personal and dirty and…

"Sakura, shush. You know you've thought about it, too." Ino chided.

Sakura sighed deeply, and she suddenly sounded much closer, as though she turned and was facing the shelf now. "Yeah, but I've never _talked_ about it. And…"

"And…?"

"Well…what if they're really bony? Wouldn't it hurt?"

And he was out of there! Or at least he would have been if he didn't bump into something as he turned to run away from this ridiculous conversation. He bit his bottom lip to keep from shouting in surprise, fearful of getting caught for eavesdropping. Ino and Sakura would have his testicles for sure!

He looked up and felt his already hot face increase tenfold. Damn it, why did Sasuke have to come here now of all times? He lifted a hand, clasping it over the bemused boy's mouth when the he opened it to speak.

"Oh, so would you prefer a guy like Choji? You like chubby fingers, Sakura?" Ino teased.

Both boys' eyes flitted to the shelf that was obstructing their vision from the girls.

"Ino!" Sakura cried for the third time, clearly embarrassed.

Sasuke reached up to remove Naruto's hand from his face, and Naruto glanced at his fingers. They were long and pale, and not bony at all; his knuckles didn't protrude from his skin and his fingertips were perfectly rounded. So since they were extensive and not emaciated, then they would feel good in a girl?

"Stop thinking about useless things," Sasuke snapped, his voice hushed as he pulled the tan hand away.

Again, Naruto wondered if Sasuke could read minds. It wasn't like wondering about these things was unusual for a teenage boy. Not everyone could have a robotic reaction like Sasuke, and Naruto was sure Sasuke thought about stuff like this quite a bit, especially since he executed some of it with Naruto. Heck, the guy was kissing him any chance he got.

It was funny how a train of thought could swap directions so quickly. It made Naruto dizzy as he shifted his eyes to Sasuke's grimacing pink lips, and he licked his own in anticipation.

Sasuke's lips parted when he noticed what had Naruto's attention now, and believe him, he needed no more prompting. The thought of being in the school's library didn't make him hesitate, nor did the two girls on the other side of the shelf that were _still_ talking about being fingered, as well as acts of cunnilingus, possibly coming over and spotting them. He was a predator with his keen prey, and he was going to indulge himself.

Naruto pressed his body into Sasuke's, his arm caught between their chests due to Sasuke still holding it captive. Their lips rubbed against each other, sparks igniting. This was it, this was why Sasuke kissed him so much, Naruto realized. He could understand it now that he wasn't being jumped unexpectedly.

Sasuke enjoyed kissing him, and frankly, Naruto enjoyed kissing him back. However, he preferred to be kissed like this by the boy. Sensual, slow, intimate. Those surprise kisses irked him because he couldn't respond automatically, his brain taking its time to catch up to the moment. This way he was ready, accepting, willing; even eager.

Naruto was spontaneous, he was known for it. But when he was in an unusual situation, such as trying to come to terms with allowing Sasuke's feelings to evolve into his own, he couldn't handle impetuosity.

Sasuke pulled back first, studying Naruto's features for any sort of regret. Naruto gave him a goofy grin and he took a step back from the blond, looking behind them casually to watch another student with a pile of books in their arm pass outside the aisle.

"I told you to put these away," he said suddenly, taking the books that Naruto had discarded haphazardly and walking down the passage to put them away.

"Yeah, yeah, I don't work here so it doesn't really matter." Naruto said, noticing that Sakura and Ino had either quieted down at hearing the two boys on the other side of the shelf, or left the library entirely.

"Idiot," Sasuke muttered, shelving the books in their proper place.

* * *

><p>"When we get to my house I am going to make ramen. What flavor do you want? I have miso, seafood, creamy chicken – oh! I have tomato stuff, too! You like tomatoes, so you'll probably want some of that."<p>

Sasuke shrugged his shoulder to keep the straps of his bag from falling any further. "I don't like ramen."

Naruto chuckled, having already known this. He didn't understand how anyone on this planet could detest ramen. It was the dish of the gods, he was sure of it. "Too bad for you that ramen is the only thing available at my house."

"Thing is right."

"Huh?" Naruto looked at him, having been distracted by a cop sitting down outside a fast food restaurant with a plastic tray holding his order.

"You called ramen a thing. Accurate," Sasuke continued to stare ahead as they strolled down the sidewalk. It took all of Sasuke's willpower not to smile at the sputtering boy's attempts to reconcile his mistake, amending the status of his favorite _food_.

Naruto settled down with a heavy sigh, kicking a bottle cap out of his way on the sidewalk. A car passed them and he watched it take a left turn and disappear onto another street. He wasn't sure why he was thinking about it, but the conversation from the library popped into his mind and he scrunched his shoulders, shuddering. But something had been said, something more important than sex acts. Something that Naruto was only realizing now.

"Dobe?" Sasuke glanced at the boy next to him, his steps noticeably heavier.

Sakura liked Sasuke still, and she was having serious…_adult_ thoughts about him. That was something boys did, think about girls' bodies and so on. But Sakura was curious about Sasuke's size, and his fingers.

This was what Naruto wanted though, right? To have a girl he could pass Sasuke onto? Because he didn't like the idea of being in a relationship with a guy.

Only…he didn't mind being around Sasuke like this. He wouldn't say that they were in a relationship (_yet_), but they were getting there. It was easy, despite the out-of-nowhere kisses, because they were able to move through the day as friends. Just like when they were kids, he never got tired of being in Sasuke's presence. Sure, the boy put out angst vibes, but Naruto had become so attuned to him that he wasn't uncomfortable standing next to the Uchiha like a lot of guys were. And besides, Sasuke was ostensibly better, noticeably happier, when he was with Naruto.

Sasuke sighed next to him and Naruto was reminded of his presence. He was curious as to what Sasuke thought of Sakura now. When they were younger he had said that she was annoying, but now she was older, mature, and _really_ pretty. So he said, "Oi, teme, do you like Sakura-chan?"

Naruto looked at him to see his reaction clearly.

Sasuke's lips curled slightly in aversion. "Not particularly."

"Oh," Naruto stared down at the sidewalk, trying not to step on the cracks. "What about Karin?"

"She's useful," Sasuke said. "But that's all."

Naruto's eyes widened. Useful? Useful _how_? He didn't mean _that_ way…did he?

"Get your mind out of the gutter." Sasuke snapped.

Before anything else could be said, a tall boy wearing a white mask with red markings stepped out into the sidewalk from an alleyway, folding his arms. Sasuke and Naruto slowed to a halt a few yards away from him, instantly on alert.

It had been four days since Naruto walked in on Sasuke's gang fighting with the ANBU, but he wasn't naïve enough to think that they had seen the last of the "do-gooders".

The masked boy nodded his head to the right sharply, directing them to follow him into the alley.

Naruto looked over at Sasuke who didn't seem surprised by the confrontation either, but his jaw was set which indicated that he knew something was about to go down. "Should I call-"

"Not necessary," Sasuke said before walking forward. Naruto followed him, much to his displeasure, but he knew there was no use trying to tell him to go home. The guy would stubbornly refuse, never one to run away in times of trouble.

Sasuke followed the masked boy into the alley, Naruto right behind him. As he had predicted, three other kids in ANBU masks were waiting for them in the alleyway. In the back of his mind he wished that he hadn't left his flick blade in his bag. It would be too obvious to draw it now, and at the same time he didn't even want to reveal it. Not with Naruto there. He couldn't let him see how ready Sasuke was to end a threat, quick and thoroughly so that it couldn't crawl out of some hole later to retaliate.

A girl in a gray sweatshirt and black corduroy shorts tilted her head, the action seeming all the more mocking with the white and red cat mask she wore. "This is the guy that beat up Aki?" she asked in indignation. "We should be kicking Aki's ass instead of this guy's. What a wimp!"

One of the boys turned to her stridently. "Shut up!" He looked back at Sasuke and Naruto, folding his arms over his chest. "Our boss isn't very pleased with your presence in Konoha."

Sasuke straightened his back more. "Who is your boss? I should write a heartfelt apology to them."

"None of your business! I hate assholes like you. You think you're funny?" the boy asked, arms dropping to his sides where his fists formed tight balls.

Sasuke dropped his eyes to examine all of their hands, looking for hidden weapons. One of them was wearing leather gloves with studs on the knuckles. Other than that, it looked like all they came for was a quick rough-up to warn him about whatever their boss wanted. Well they were in for a surprise.

With Naruto here, if they dared lay a hand on Sasuke, the blond would surely throw himself into the fight. Not that he wanted to use Naruto as protection (quite the opposite; he'd do anything in his power to keep Naruto out of this); he was just predicting how things could turn out if they went sour.

"Hey, answer me!" the guy yelled at Sasuke.

Raising a single eyebrow quizzically, Sasuke spoke. "I don't have all night to play games with you. What do you want?"

Naruto looked at Sasuke, curious if the boy knew who he was dealing with. Knowing the bastard, he couldn't care less.

"I _hate_ assholes like you!" the boy that led them into the ally shouted and immediately charged at Sasuke.

Naruto watched in awe as Sasuke sidestepped him gracefully and caught his right arm, twisting it behind the guy's back and turning to slam him face first into the brick wall. The boy slid to his knees when Sasuke released him, gripping his masked head in pain.

Naruto turned his attention to the two other males in the group who charged at Sasuke simultaneously. Thinking quickly, he lifted his leg in front of the one closest to him at the last minute, causing them to trip. Unfortunately, he was dragged down by the applied weight on his leg, landing in an awkward split.

"Dobe," Sasuke muttered while dodging a fist thrown his way and delivering one of his own. He didn't expect to be impacted from the left and shuffled backwards, glaring at the girl that had slammed into him.

He dropped his bag and removed his school blazer in record time, hitting the boy he had punched with it when he came at Sasuke.

Naruto was too busy wrestling the guy on the ground to notice the middle-aged man in a business suit stop at the opening of the alley, gaping at the fight going on in front of him. He hurriedly pulled out his cell phone.

This was stupid! Why were these guys so immediately aggressive towards them? He hadn't done anything wrong, and neither had Sasuke. Well, Naruto wasn't completely certain about that. He never did find out _why_ Sasuke and his gang were skirmishing with the ANBU in the first place that night. For all he knew it was all Sasuke's fault. _More likely Suigetsu's_, Naruto thought indignantly. That jerk didn't have a filter, insults slipping through his crooked teeth like they were fluid.

The point was that the ANBU were in the wrong this time, having jumped Sasuke over a petty comment. He was only participating in this fight because he was on Sasuke's side, and he would stand by him through any trial when he was in the right.

A punch to his chin made him rethink that a bit. No, even if Sasuke was in the wrong he would probably still defend him. He would pursue the Uchiha through thick and thin, doing everything in his power to establish his innocence.

Sasuke winced as the brick wall scraped against the back of his left shoulder. He wrapped his hands against the throats of the boy and girl pushing him harder into the wall, as if meaning to shove him through to the other side.

As hard as he could, he rammed their heads together, disorienting them long enough so that he could break free at the price of ripping the back of his school shirt on the bricks.

All of the teenagers stilled as the sound of sirens echoed in the darkening sky, getting louder as the police car approached the alley swiftly. It was as sudden as the clap of thunder that mixed in with the wails of the police alarm, the two resonances trying to top the other to get the attention of the group in the alley.

"Teme, we gotta split!" Naruto kneed the frozen guy on top of him, successfully knocking him off. "You don't need a police record on you when you only just got here."

Sasuke wasn't inclined to argue, especially since the four ANBU were already rushing out of the alley's only opening. He leaned down to pick up his bag and blazer, following Naruto out of the alley.

"Shit!" Naruto shouted, the red lights from the top of the police car nearly blinding him. And suddenly, they were gone. Or not gone, per se, but his vision was blocked. Reaching up to touch the material over his head, a hand secured around his left wrist and began yanking him down the sidewalk at maximum speed.

With his free hand, Naruto lifted part of the blazer draped over him to see where he was running. He slid his wrist from Sasuke's grasp so that they could entwine their fingers. He squeezed, his breathing erratic as he digested the situation.

They were on the run from a cop. _Shit_, they were on the run from the police! Jiraiya was going to kill him if he had to go bail him out of jail. He'd get kicked out of school. He would never get into a good college now, and he would never be able to catch up with Sasuke. He'd never be an approachable bachelor; no girl would want to marry a criminal.

"Stop panicking," Sasuke snapped.

Naruto glared at him. "I'm not-"

"_Dobe_,"

Naruto opened his mouth to retort back, but Sasuke clutched his hand all the tighter and his mouth snapped shut, teeth clacking painfully.

Sasuke was asking, _pleading_, for Naruto to trust him. If anyone could get them out of this situation, it had to be Sasuke. It pained Naruto to think that Sasuke had been through this plenty of times back in Otogakure, but what could he do?

The rain came down hard and fast. It was impossible to tell where each individual drop was coming from, it felt like one continuous sheet of water. On the bright side (as ironic as that sounded with the current forecast), it made it easier for the boys to escape the tailing cop car, moving deeper into their gray surroundings. Naruto vaguely wondered if Sasuke knew where he was going or if they were going to end up running into a fence or building.

Sasuke pulled Naruto left sharply, into an entrance way of a store that had all the lights turned off, metal gates closed securely in front of the windows and front entrance. The police car didn't even turn down the street, heading straight ahead much to their relief. Despite this, neither of them dared to move until the sirens faded into the sound of the rain falling before being swallowed up entirely.

"That was close," Naruto whispered, barely audible with the white noise in the background.

"Hn,"

Naruto turned to look at him, breath hitching at their close proximity. In the rush to hide, he didn't realize that Sasuke had him pressed against the gated window of the shop, hands on his hips. Sasuke gazed back at him, seeming impervious to their immediacy.

_He wouldn't be_, Naruto thought. And he didn't mind. They wouldn't get anywhere if they were both self-conscious about being in each other's faces.

Naruto smiled inwardly and leaned forward, brushing his lips over Sasuke's. The Uchiha leaned away from the touch but Naruto grabbed his tie, wrapping it around his hands and threading it through his fingers. Sasuke was anchored in place. "Don't do that," he muttered. "This is an equal effort."

Sasuke's eyelids lowered. The look of contemplation was evident in his eyes.

"Don't…hold back. Not right now. Not when I want it."

He was shoved roughly into the metal gate, hands lifting him by his thighs so that he was forced to wrap his legs around slim hips. Naruto wasn't exactly thrilled with this position. He felt like he was being treated like the girl of the relationship, getting manhandled. But it was Sasuke, and he just saved their asses, so he supposed that it was all right this one time. Besides, he couldn't really say no with both of their impending problems pressing against each other like that.

When had he even gotten like that…?

Sasuke shifted his head to the side to kiss Naruto even deeper than they ever had before. Tongues rubbing as they passed into the other's mouth, lips melding seemingly into one, choked moans meeting in the middle in a symphony of agreement. This was what they both wanted because this was their moment. A moment to celebrate their freedom and the company of each other.

Even if they hadn't necessarily been in immediate danger, they still made it out without any confrontation. And for that, they were grateful enough to revel in the affections of each other.

Hands were everywhere, fisting the school uniform as if intent on ripping it off. Each boy could feel more than hear their names being whispered. Then they were actually panting and gasping aloud, requesting to taste other parts.

Sasuke's tongue laved over the hot skin on Naruto's neck, feeling the pounding pulse there. He craved more, he _needed_ more. "Not enough…"

Blue eyes drooped.

* * *

><p>Naruto found his eyes wandering to the brush burn on Sasuke's left shoulder a lot, the area around it already a bright pink. He didn't mean to be staring at Sasuke as the other teen rinsed off soap suds with the detachable shower head. When he looked at Sasuke from where he was sitting in the bathtub, he was no longer seeing just another boy, another body. It wasn't like how he looked at the other guys in his class when they were changing for gym.<p>

Now he was forced to notice every detail about Sasuke, recognizing if something was out of place. It was almost exciting seeing how much Sasuke had grown physically. When they were kids, Itachi would start a bath up for them and they would soak in it together after a long day of playing outside during summer and winter breaks. They would roughhouse sometimes, but for the most part they would just sit there and enjoy each other's company, Naruto informing Sasuke of what he had planned for them the next day, and Sasuke remaining silent and accepting his indisputable fate.

This time, being in the bathroom together five years later was different – besides the obvious reasons, of course.

Their clothes hung over a makeshift clothesline in the kitchen, dripping water into scattered bowls and buckets. They had walked home in the rain after what was possibly the most intense moment of Naruto's life. A hot blush colored his face as he recalled his and Sasuke's kissing and grinding, coming to completion in a public place with the rain cloaking them from any possible witnesses, though he doubted there were any.

How did Sasuke do that? How could he tear down Naruto's walls and make him so horny and willing without having to do anything special? The idea of them being a couple had only been supplied a week ago and already he had experienced ejaculation twice, three times if he counted the night Sasuke molested him, which he really didn't for obvious reasons.

Not to be shallow, but if things continued down this path then maybe he wouldn't mind being with Sasuke. Sasuke needed him emotionally, and well, if that meant he was going to make Naruto feel good physically in turn then Naruto didn't see why not. That wasn't saying that Naruto wasn't trying to put his heart into this, too. It was just hard not to enjoy it when Sasuke was touching him all the damn time. He'd come to associate physical contact with his relationship with Sasuke. One came with the other.

Like right now, the Uchiha was getting in the cramped tub with him, their shoulders touching gently as they sat side by side. His wet hair was clinging to his neck, his bangs combed back to reveal his calm, almost expressionless face. The tattoo was still there, days after Sasuke said he'd be getting rid of it. Naruto wasn't sure if he should ask him about that or not, but he felt now wasn't the time.

"If you don't like it then just say so." Sasuke broke the silence suddenly. Naruto stared at him in confusion, wondering if he was putting off surly vibes. Sasuke's head turned slowly, obsidian irises boring into Naruto. "You're the one who suggested taking a bath together like old times. Why are you so stiff?"

Naruto wanted to make a comment about him not being the only thing that was stiff, but he was sure that'd be too inappropriate. Wait, _that_ would be inappropriate despite what they just did outside a store twenty minutes ago? Oh well, the moment to say it was over now anyway. Instead, he forced himself to relax his muscles.

He was only uptight right now because he was so close to Sasuke, the boy he had been kissing and climaxing with in the rain. How was he supposed to act? Like nothing had happened?

Now that he mentioned it, Sasuke was doing just that. In fact, Sasuke always seemed to pretend that nothing had happened between them. Was he ashamed of what they did? That was a stupid question. If Sasuke was feeling guilty because of everything they did, then he wouldn't keep coming back to Naruto. Yet, Sasuke somehow managed to remain impassive after all their activities. If he wanted to touch Naruto so much then he could at least show a little emotion!

"Sasuke! Ow!" So much for showing a gale of passion. In the middle of trying to straddle Sasuke, Naruto banged his knee against the wall of the tub and twisted the ankle on his other leg. Despite all that, he still smiled at the hands that caught his hips, squeezing as Sasuke's face contorted into that of disapproval.

"Moron," Sasuke helped him get adjusted so that Naruto was able to settle awkwardly in the canal created between his abdomen and thighs. Both of them kept their eyes locked and refused to think about their privates being so close to each other. "What are you doing?"

"You like me," Naruto stated out of nowhere, closing his legs around Sasuke's side when pale hands loosened with intent to leave him. "_Stop that_. Stop pulling away every time I get to you first." Sasuke frowned and Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Why do you get to be the one to kiss me and make plans with me and have sex with me?"

This time Sasuke narrowed his eyes, his hands returning to Naruto's sides and perhaps holding on tighter than necessary. "What was that?"

Naruto went over his words in his own head before blushing freely, so much as spreading to his neck. "Well…you know…oral sex kind of counts as…" He shook his head, removing his hesitance. "Look teme, I…like when you touch me." Damn it, he stuttered. "When we're alone. But when I'm in the mood or willing, you pull away. If I'm doing something wrong-"

"You're not."

"Or at least making you uncomfortable…?"

"…"

"Is that it, then?" Naruto asked, his eyes zeroed in on Sasuke's tight expression.

The Uchiha hesitated to speak for a few minutes, the two boys sitting in utter silence and stillness before he finally opened his mouth. "Not uncomfortable, per se. If you touch me back, I don't know if I'd be able to…"

"To what?"

"Stop,"

"What? I'm just asking about-"

"No, I wouldn't be able to stop."

"Oh." Sasuke stared up at him expectantly. "Well…you haven't stopped before, right? I mean, you've kissed me, and we've both come, and you've given me a blowjob. So we've done everything, I don't know why you feel like you have to stop."

Sasuke's expression was a mixture of annoyance and disbelief. "You really are an idiot."

"What!" Naruto grit his teeth, ready to bite out a comeback.

"Do you have any idea what comes after all of that?" Sasuke asked.

"Eh?" Now Naruto was confused. "What do you mean? We've done just about everything, right? I don't have a…that thing girls have down there, so it's not like we can do much more."

Something snapped inside Sasuke. Something unexpected and so tightly coiled for so long that he wasn't aware that it could break so easily. He wrapped his left arm around Naruto's waist, causing him to stiffen in surprise. He reached behind Naruto with his other hand. His fingers probed the body before he found his target, ignoring the squawks of protest and sharp tugs at his hair. They ceased immediately when he forced his pointer finger into the puckered hole of Naruto's rear.

Naruto's shoulders tensed up and he raised one arm back, swinging it forward and slugging Sasuke in his jaw. Unfortunately, it wasn't hard enough to dislodge Sasuke's finger from his ass. "What the hell are you doing?" His voice cracked due to it raising a few octaves. "_Bastard_, take it _out_!"

Sasuke worked his jaw left and right, then back and forth to make sure it still worked properly. He glared at Naruto. "Idiot, this is what's supposed to come after everything we've done so far. I've had a couple of years to think of what I've wanted to do to you. I never thought that…"

Naruto completely forgot about the foreign intrusion in his rear, either used to it or completely distracted from it by Sasuke trailing off. He knew what the boy had been about to say, though._ Never thought he'd ever get to act on his thoughts_.

"But wait!" Naruto shouted, wide eyed and red in the face while he squeezed Sasuke's shoulders so hard that they could potentially pop out of their sockets. "Why do you have to stick your fingers in me?"

Sasuke's patience was stretching thin. He understood that Naruto hadn't a clue about how two guys took things all the way, but he felt like the idiot could put two and two together. Then again, this was Naruto he was talking about. Giving him the benefit of the doubt was just a habit from when they were kids.

"Someone has to take it up the ass, dobe." Okay, that was cruder than how he meant to say it, but it was too late to take it back now. He exhaled through his nose sharply.

Naruto gulped and looked down between their bodies. He was becoming increasingly aware of the finger inside him now that they were back on the subject, and he squirmed. It slid in a bit more and he froze instantly. "I don't like…it's really not…"

"You'll get used to it if you calm down and let me prepare you properly." Sasuke snapped. He wasn't sure why this was happening. He hadn't expected to get to this point so soon (or at all for that matter), but he didn't want to stop. He didn't want Naruto to go to bed tonight and have time to think about how much he didn't want to do this. He knew there was no way Naruto wouldn't regret this after it was all over, but at least then Sasuke would have at least gotten to act on his urges just once.

He was a simple guy. He didn't ask for much; never envied what others had and never felt the need to indulge in material things. There has always been only one thing on his mind since he left Konoha. Through all the tiring drama he trudged through with his brother in Otogakure, his thoughts of going home to his smiling best friend never faded in the slightest.

At first it was just achingly lonely without Naruto there every day, knocking on his door to ask if he wanted to hang out and then dragging him outside anyway if Sasuke said no. But then his thoughts started to revolve around his kiss with Naruto. It happened by chance when he was watching a movie on TV while staying home sick from school. The hero of the movie was saying goodbye to his lover on the beach, and they kissed while the waves crashed around them. It was cheesy, but he couldn't help but picture himself as the hero and the woman as Naruto.

Even though it wasn't his intention at the time, he too had kissed Naruto goodbye.

Sasuke shook his head to dismiss the thoughts clouding his mind. He had to focus on the present right now. There was plenty of time to shroud himself in the past, but right now it was necessary for him to be aware of his surroundings, of Naruto. He'd wanted this for so long…

He wiggled his finger a bit and earned a punch to the head. "Dobe…"

"It feels weird!" Naruto lowered his hands on Sasuke's shoulders and glared down at him. He was never good with being in awkward positions. If he was sitting in class and felt uncomfortable, then he fixed that. Sasuke was lucky Naruto wasn't shoving his head underwater right now.

Sasuke was persistent. He knew he wasn't thinking clearly, he knew he should be taking this slowly, he knew that he shouldn't have said anything to Naruto at all that night on the street when they all went to eat barbeque. But…how could he regret it in this moment right here?

Naruto's eyes bulged out of his head as he was yanked down by his hair and he was kissed with such searing need and desire. He could feel it burning through his lips and down to his chest. It went further down, taking its time in his stomach and groin, but then eventually reaching his toes, too.

He moaned into the kiss and applied himself to it, trying to return Sasuke's feelings with full force. The water whipped around them as his hips dunked under the surface, Sasuke's finger retreating all the way inside.

"Naruto,"

Said boy kept his eyes closed, afraid to open them to the reality of the situation. "Mhm?"

"Tell me to stop."

He tried to think through the hand that was currently wrapping around his hardening cock. Somehow he was sure that Sasuke wasn't just talking about what he was doing in this moment. If he told Sasuke to stop now, where would that leave them? It was a hollowing feeling, and it made him more uncomfortable than having the finger up his ass.

He shook his head stubbornly. "No…"

"Naruto-"

"No! I won't tell you to stop! I'll never tell you to stop because…" He inhaled and finally opened his eyes, locking gazes with Sasuke. "Sasuke, you…I…won't have it any other way. Just…take it easy, ya know?"

It probably wasn't appropriate at the time, but Naruto felt really mature as he leaned in to place reassuring kisses all around Sasuke's face.

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><p><strong>I don't...know how to comment on this...chapter...<strong>


	8. To Make Me

**Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto. Nope, nope, nope.**

**AN: Let me start out by saying that I am so sorry for leaving this story off where I did for so long. I had no intention to take this long to update, I swear! This is honestly one of my favorites (that's right, I play favorites with my fics). So I hope that I can make it up to you all with what's to come…in this chapter and the following chapters.**

**I want to thank everyone that left a review! Thank you so much! And also a big thank you to my silent readers. I know you guys have all been waiting patiently for an update. Thank you all for sticking around.**

**To try to make it up to you all, I made this chapter EXTRA-long (gave it a little something extra if you know what I mean)!**

**So let's see…we left off with Sasuke fingering Naruto in the bathtub? Wonder where that could possibly lead to…**

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><p><strong>Chapter Eight<br>To Make Me Moan, Bite My Thighs**

"Wait, stop!" Naruto shouted despite his previous words to Sasuke. It was just too much. He had already come only an hour ago. He didn't want to make a habit out of getting swept away by pleasure, but Sasuke wasn't making it easy for him. He pulled at the hair on the crown of Sasuke's head. "I said…_wait_!"

A sharp tug had Sasuke dislodged in seconds.

Naruto found it hard to glare at the other boy when Sasuke's cheeks were flushed. Not to mention his eyes were glazed over and daring, a bit of dribble on his chin. He didn't get a chance to say anything, Sasuke dropping right back down. His silky hair threaded through Naruto's fingers easily.

Sasuke's swollen lips glided over Naruto's thigh, brushing over the soft hairs there. He caught them between his lips and pulled gently.

"What are you doing?" Naruto frowned.

"I like…the hair on your thighs." The hesitance in Sasuke's voice assured Naruto that even the Uchiha knew how weird that sounded. "And I like how warm you are. You're always so warm…"

Sasuke's bangs brushed against the underside base of Naruto's erection, making Naruto stutter in his exhale. Naruto perched himself up on his elbows to watch Sasuke kiss his right thigh. Their eyes met suddenly, and Naruto knew he was in trouble. He could feel the suspense in his chest as he allowed Sasuke to bend his knees and spread his legs.

It came as a sort of electric shock. All Sasuke had done was bite into the middle of his inner thigh, but to Naruto it felt like someone had just shot up his dick with pleasure. If that made sense. His balls tightened at the feeling, his hips bucking; and despite how good it felt, Naruto felt the need to curl up to protect that spot as if his life depended on it. The gasp that was ripped from deep within him left Sasuke to stare.

"W-wait…" Naruto's voice wavered involuntarily, tremors still wracking his body from the newly discovered spot. Sasuke's head moved lower, and Naruto's body tensed in anticipation. That didn't help at all. He had thought it felt good before, but _damn_, it just kept getting stronger the lower Sasuke went!

And the Uchiha wasn't stopping, either. As if he were some starved man holding his first sandwich in years, Sasuke bit into Naruto's thigh repetitively until his teeth sank into the juncture where Naruto's thigh met his groin. Keeping the quivering limb in his hold, he lifted his head slowly to look at Naruto.

Having fallen on his back from the torturous pleasure, Naruto lifted his head to see what Sasuke was up to next. He knew his face was as red as it felt from the smirk Sasuke sent his way. "Oh no…" was all he could mutter as Sasuke shifted over to Naruto's other thigh.

Naruto's toes ached from curling so tightly, but he couldn't do anything about it. No matter how much he tried, a gasp or a groan was pulled out of him with each bite. How was it that he could manage to hold his voice in when he was getting direct stimulation to his dick, but when it came to his thighs he became a boneless, moaning heap of goo?

"No more, Sasuke…please…" Naruto breathed out shakily when Sasuke braked at the same end point as before.

Sasuke sat up, eyes boring into Naruto. "You're done?"

"No," Naruto shook his head slowly, keeping his eyes closed to the overhead light in the bathroom. "Just…no more _there_. I can't stand it…" He didn't care if he sounded weak. He was _feeling_ weak. As amazing and erotic as that all felt, he couldn't bear it anymore. His legs were shaking. It was humiliating.

Sasuke eyed Naruto's thighs, following the trails of red left behind by his biting. They would probably turn into bruises overnight. He smirked at his handy work briefly before sticking his two of his fingers into his mouth. He made sure they were nice and wet before retreating them and heading to Naruto's already stretched hole. He had made sure to clean and prep Naruto very well while they were in the bath, but now he had to get him lubricated enough so that things would fit together smoothly.

He stilled right outside of Naruto's hole, eyes flitting to Naruto's face. He was almost surprised by the blue eyes watching him attentively. His heart quaked in his chest. Why was he hesitating? He had Naruto where he wanted him. His best friend was just unable to contain the pleasure he was receiving from his newfound g-spot. Sasuke was the one making him moan and quiver on the floor. He shouldn't be hesitating…

"Sasuke," Naruto said. He swallowed to wet his dry throat. Sasuke swallowed as well, clearly distracted by his own thoughts. "I've never been as sure about anything before as I am right now. No matter where we go from here, you will always be my best friend."

Sasuke's lips parted, but he quickly pressed them together in a malformed smirk. Naruto somehow always knew exactly what to say, didn't he? "Idiot…" he muttered. He ignored the squawk of protest for the name calling from Naruto and sucked on his fingers again for extra measure before easily sliding them into Naruto. He twisted them around, coating the inner walls with his saliva. When he finished, he reached over into the tub and cupped some of the bath water into his hand. He smeared it over his straining erection, mixing it with the pre-cum that was leaking heavily from the head thanks to the sensual sounds Naruto had been making throughout the abuse of his thighs.

"Would it be lame if I asked you to be gentle?" Naruto asked suddenly.

Sasuke scoffed. "Yeah," he said with a challenging smirk. "Scaredy-cat."

Naruto grinned and put an arm over his eyes. "Shut up," he said playfully. His smile fell and he bit his bottom lip when Sasuke's hands gripped his hips. This was it…he was going to have sex with Sasuke.

"_Ah_," Was the only sound that left Naruto when Sasuke began to enter him. His mouth was gaping open, but no other sound could be made. He felt like a bubble had lodged itself within his throat, forcing him to hold his breath. His heartbeat almost seemed to slow down throughout the process.

Sasuke couldn't find the strength to keep his eyes open, taking in a deep breath with every inch that made it inside Naruto; hot and constricting, but opened to him and his desires. He was finally getting everything he ever wanted. The walls around him suddenly clenched and he looked down at his progress. "Don't tense up."

"It kind of hurts…" Naruto said off-handedly, the bubble from before suddenly disappearing. He inhaled and then relaxed, finding it was much easier to do than he thought.

"Only 'kind of'?"

"…Mhm,"

Sasuke didn't speak again as he pushed the rest of the way in, simultaneously guiding Naruto down on him by his hips. He almost didn't realize he was all the way in until Naruto cleared his throat and adjusted his shoulders below him. Glancing at Naruto, he let out the shuddering breath he had been holding. "You're handling this better than I expected."

Naruto smiled and let out a melodious chuckle despite the current situation. "I know, right? Guess I'm just really good at this."

The Uchiha snorted. "Then I can start moving?"

"Uh, maybe,"

He thrust shallowly, stopping each time Naruto tensed to let him adjust. Naruto was quiet, only letting out quick breaths the deeper the penetration went. Sasuke stopped often, letting Naruto's body language tell him when he could continue.

"What happens if I fart?" Naruto asked suddenly, the joke losing its edge due to how breathy his voice was.

"Shut up," Sasuke said, rolling his eyes in annoyance. Only Naruto could make dumb jokes during sex. "And don't tense up. Relax."

"I'm not tensing up," Naruto said defensively.

"I can feel you, dobe." Sasuke looked at him pointedly. Were they really arguing at a time like this?

"I'm not tensing up!" Naruto repeated, his muscles clenching from the shout alone.

Sasuke grunted, eyes falling shut at the tight heat that swallowed him whole and refused to let go. He opened them slowly and immediately regretted looking at Naruto's face. Shit, he knew.

Naruto smirked up at Sasuke, liking this newly discovered control he had in this position. "You sure I'm tensing up, teme?" He flexed the muscles in his rear, testing the waters.

The chuckle that reverberated off the bathroom walls irked Sasuke. Clearly he had been underestimating Naruto's ability to handle anal sex. That was good to know, because now he didn't need to hold back. Glaring in concentration, Sasuke leaned over Naruto and picked up his thrusting again, successfully wiping that stupid smirk off Naruto's face. God, Naruto was still so tight despite all that prepping.

This was ten times better than he had imagined. No, a hundred times better. Infinitely better. He was so lost in the sensation of Naruto's body, both boys panting at the exertion of their act and only pushing for more.

Naruto was meeting his thrusts with the help of Sasuke's hands to direct him, using his legs to add more strength.

"Put your arms around me," Sasuke said through his panting, never letting up on his drives.

Naruto bent up to hug Sasuke to him, but he almost fell right back down with a cry of ecstasy. "Fuck, Sasuke!" At the new angle, something within him was struck. The same spot that Sasuke had messed with earlier while in the tub. He remembered it far too well, yet it felt better and better each time Sasuke slammed into it. "Don't fucking stop hitting that spot! Ah!"

Damn, Sasuke was not going to last much longer, especially not with Naruto's teasing clenches and his moaning right in Sasuke's ear. Growling deep in his chest, he turned and latched onto the neck, feeling the vibrations from Naruto's moans and harsh pants. He let a moan of his own slip, but it was swallowed up by another one of Naruto's.

Naruto was loud, his mindless cussing and calling of Sasuke's name drove the Uchiha to slam into him ruthlessly. His blunt nails were biting into Naruto's hips, but the blond didn't appear to notice. He just welcomed the newer, rougher treatment. Sasuke had Naruto almost bent in half with the way Naruto was arching his back.

Sasuke was so caught up in the moment that his orgasm came as a shock. He gasped, faltering in his thrusts for just a moment before picking them right back up again. His drives became stiffer as he emptied into Naruto. He quickly freed a hand of Naruto's hip and began stroking him in a swift, tight grip.

"Sasuke!" Naruto buried his face into Sasuke's shoulder where he released a rumbling, hoarse groan as he came.

Sasuke kept his eyes closed as he milked Naruto all the way through his completion, wishing he had been able to see the idiot's face as he experienced this moment. He could only imagine how great his expression must be as he felt the hot, harsh pants beat against his collarbone.

Naruto lowered himself to the bathroom floor, using Sasuke's shoulders for support during his decent. He kept his eyes closed, chest heaving from all the emotions welling inside him. The room was spinning, and yet everything and everyone was still. This world was theirs alone, and nothing from the outside could get in. A tear squeezed its way out and slid down his temple, disappearing into his hair.

"You're crying," Sasuke said. Guilt clenched in his stomach, but he didn't remove his hand from Naruto's hip or softening organ.

Naruto didn't open his eyes, but he smiled. He cleared his throat in attempt to get rid of the saliva that had built up. "It's not a bad crying. Guess I'm just kind of overwhelmed. Can't really put it into words…"

"Oh," Sasuke looked down at where they were connected. "I understand." _I think._

Laughter bubbled in Naruto's chest and then spilled out. He squinted at Sasuke and reached up to touch his cheek. "Could you pull out? I'm getting sleepy."

Sasuke did just that, slowly. He groaned as his seed spilled out after him. Clearly Naruto could feel it, and he made a teasing gagging noise followed by a chuckle. Without a word, Sasuke slipped two fingers into Naruto's gaping hole. He ignored Naruto's indignant whine as he scooped out what he could with his fingers alone.

"It's weird…I can't feel my hands." Naruto sighed. He lifted his hands above his face and wiggled his fingers

before flexing them.

"That's supposedly normal after sex," Sasuke said while he stood to retrieve the detachable shower head from the wall. "For a woman."

"Oh ha ha, you are _sooo _funny. I'm a woman because I took it up the ass. Is that your point?" Naruto tilted his head back on the floor to look at Sasuke upside-down. His face flushed when he was greeted with a completely unnecessary angle of Sasuke's nudity.

Sasuke squatted down next Naruto and sprayed his stomach with the hose, watching the evidence of Naruto's orgasm scatter away to nothing. He rinsed his hand off in the flow, flicking droplets at Naruto's face.

"You're so kind to me, cleaning me off after having your dirty way with me." Naruto said as Sasuke moved the shower head towards his privates.

"It's the least I can do since you allowed me to have my dirty way with you." Sasuke rubbed at some stubborn gunk that refused to depart from Naruto's puckered hole.

Naruto laughed breathily, putting his hands under his head as a cushion from the tile floor. "Next time use a condom, because I'm sleepy and this clean-up process is taking way too long." His voice sounded deeper from the angle his head was tilted.

Sasuke looked at him for a moment, studying for any sign that Naruto was joking about a next time. When all he got was a lazy, content smile, he smirked and went back to cleaning them off. He had been waiting for some kind of comment about how it felt, how Sasuke did, what Naruto wanted more of. He wasn't going to get anything like that out of Naruto tonight.

"If I catch a cold from not drying off properly and die, I'm so going to haunt your ass." Naruto announced as he collapsed onto his bed.

"I've never heard of anyone dying from a cold before." Sasuke said as he ran his thumbs around the inside of the elastic band of the boxers he borrowed from Naruto. He rolled his eyes at the excuse Naruto babbled out, though he didn't really pay attention to what he said. He slipped into the bed, settling in the space between Naruto and the window.

"Your feet are cold!" Naruto whined childishly when Sasuke spooned him from behind. When he didn't receive a response, he looked over his shoulder but Sasuke's face was buried in his back. "Hey, did you hear me?"

"Shh. I'm sleeping," Sasuke clipped.

"Bastard," Naruto grumbled, turning his face into his pillow. It didn't help hide his enormous smile.

* * *

><p>Naruto shot a glare at the birds that insisted upon chirping merry little tunes, mocking his limp and damp school uniform. Sasuke was at his side, also moody from having to spend his Saturday classes in a soggy, wrinkling outfit. Maybe it was the gods' way of punishing them for indulging themselves in their carnal needs on a school night. That had to be it. That was why <em>both<em> of the dryers in his building were out of service this morning. They had contemplated going to Sasuke's house to use his dryer, but Naruto was sure he couldn't make the trek there and then to school with his sore ass. Every step he took felt like he was clenching sandpaper between his cheeks and the slightest movement cleared away a new layer of skin. Not to mention he was sore. Those two combined was possibly the most uncomfortable feeling he had ever had the displeasure to experience.

"Maybe you shouldn't have come to school today." Sasuke said offhandedly as he studied the weird walk Naruto had come up with to cover up his limp. It almost seemed like he was marching but was only bending his left knee.

"Yeah, well…we're never doing it on a school night again!" Naruto shouted a little too loudly.

Sasuke remained passive while he inwardly rejoiced at Naruto suggesting that they would get around to having sex again.

They managed to walk a block in a comfortable silence before the rest of the world seemed to rejoin them with an abrupt

"SURPRISE ATTACK!"

"Going down!" Naruto cried weakly as he collapsed under the weight of the body that seemed to be insisting on a piggyback ride. Not in his current condition, no sir!

Sasuke stepped to the side and turned to watch the two idiots groan in pain on the street, one clearly experiencing more agony than the other. Honestly, these two could be twins separated at birth; no one would doubt it.

"Ooowwww…Kiba, you fat ass! Get _off_!" Naruto held back a dry sob when Kiba knelt on his butt in the process of standing up. Then he actually choked one out when Kiba kicked him in the exact same spot. It was a casual kick, one that Naruto could take on any day. Any day…but today.

"Calling me a fat ass and yet you won't even get up off the ground!" Kiba howled with laughter, blind of his friend's suffering. "Dude, it totally sucks. It started _pouring_ yesterday after school! But the cool part is that Hinata and I took cover in that rundown karaoke bar out by the memorial. Know which one I'm talking about? The sign is always flickering and stuff. Well it turns out it's not so rundown after all! They have some good songs, even ones released last year. So we spent two hours singing- Dude! Hinata has the voice of an angel! She's so quiet, I had no idea! Apparently she was in the choir in junior high? I don't remember that at all, do you? Anyways,"

Sasuke helped Naruto to his feet, both teens ignoring Kiba's rambling. He bent his knees so that he could look up at Naruto's face due to his head being bowed. "You okay?"

"I'm gonna cry…" Naruto inhaled sharply, trying to take his mind off the throbbing sting in his ass. Damn that Kiba! Couldn't he read the feeble aura Naruto was emitting? Gah, he supposed he couldn't really blame his friend. Normally Naruto would be able to bounce right back after a fall five times worse than that, so Kiba thought nothing of jumping him from behind.

Oh great, there's no way Naruto can tell Kiba _why_ he was in such a delicate condition this particular morning. Well, he probably could, but…no! No way in hell! It wasn't that he was ashamed of having sex with Sasuke. It was deeper than that. As deep as any man's pride went.

Naruto had been the one on bottom.

Nooooo! He could just hear Kiba's teasing, echoing all around him! So obnoxious and loud that it made Naruto want to curl up in the fetal position right there on the spot. He would call Naruto "Narubutt" or something stupid like that, and ask him if he needed an icepack to sit on (which actually sounded heavenly right about now, but that was exactly what he wanted to avoid). Or worse, he'd suddenly be seen as Sasuke's bitch! He just knew Kiba would make disgusting dog references about them doing it doggy style or worse.

"Hey, Naruto, you okay? I didn't run into ya too hard, did I?" Kiba asked in concern. He literally yanked Naruto out of his thoughts by pulling him by the shoulder to face him. "Wait, why does your uniform feel wet?"

Why that sounded like Kiba was accusing him of sodomy to Naruto, he will never know. Guilty conscious, maybe? He looked down at his uniform as if it had ink all over it, spelling out every detail of what he and Sasuke did last night.

"We got caught in the rain, too." Sasuke said. Simple and clean. No funny business mentioned.

Kiba poked the shoulder of Sasuke's school blazer. He made a face of mock disgust, and rubbed his forefinger and thumb together. "Spent the night at Naruto's house because of a little rain, Uchiha?"

Naruto choked on his own spit at the waggling of Kiba's eyebrows. Wait, he couldn't possibly know. No way. He had to distract Kiba before he got any weird ideas. "Uh, Kiba spent the night at my place once during a hurricane!"

Sasuke lifted an eyebrow, but Naruto could tell that he truly couldn't care less. AT least he knew to play along.

"It wasn't a hurricane, idiot." Kiba laughed. They started walking to school again, Kiba too busy talking to notice Naruto's awkward walk. "But it _was_ one freakish storm, that's for sure. The power went out. I thought we were going to die!"

"My building had a backup generator, you drama queen." Naruto reminded him.

Ignoring him, Kiba continued. "And even though Naruto has an analog alarm clock, we _still_ slept in and were late for school the next morning!"

Naruto and Kiba both froze when they heard someone call out Sasuke's name, responding to it like it was their own. It was a habit they picked up as a group, always looking up even though someone was searching for only one person among them.

"Did I call you two?" Suigetsu sneered, having flinched when two guys other than Sasuke turned to him expectantly. "No, I didn't."

Karin came up right behind Suigetsu, Jugo trailing them a ways back. Did he even speak, Naruto wondered. "Don't be rude, Suigetsu!" Karin chided him as if he were a kid.

The boy with the crooked teeth blew her off and slapped a hand down on Sasuke's shoulder. He was clearly about to say something, mouth wide open as if he would shout, but he yanked his hand back quickly and looked at Sasuke in bemusement. "Why are you wet?"

Kiba and Naruto let out twin snorts of amusement. Suigetsu glared at them and stuck closer to Sasuke. "Do you mind? I gotta talk to this bastard and I don't want you kids botherin' us."

If Kiba was offended, he didn't show it; an unusual show of submission from the brunette. He hooked an arm around Naruto's neck and said, "No problem, we were leaving anyway. Later yankis!"

"Hey, I'll kick your ass!" Suigetsu snapped.

Kiba was already dragging Naruto off, ignorant of his friend's struggle to keep up. When they were out of ear shot of the other teens, Kiba released Naruto and stuck his hands in his pants pockets. "Hey, uh…" He kept his head and voice low. He was acting hesitant, which intrigued Naruto. Kiba only got like this around Hinata, or sometimes with the group when he had to ask advice about a personal matter. "You're not getting caught up in anything bad, right? Sasuke and his gang there…you've been hanging out with them a lot lately."

Naruto's eyebrows rose and he looked at Kiba in awe. "Nah, man. I'm not really hanging out with them, mostly Sasuke. We were best friends back in middle school so-"

"Yeah, I know!" Kiba shouted. He looked away so quickly that he almost gave himself whiplash, ashamed from raising his voice.

"You okay?" His friend suddenly wasn't acting like himself.

Kiba scratched the back of his head in a paranoid manner, glancing at Naruto briefly. It took several minutes before he finally scoffed and turned to stare Naruto in the eyes. "Look, the guys and I were just worried that…ya know…now that Sasuke's back and all…I mean, you and him used to be close…" Kiba was getting fed up and it was obvious in his tense shoulders. "You're not gonna just ditch us now that Uchiha's back, right? I mean, we're your friends, too!"

Naruto's cheeks flushed. His friends really cared that much about losing him? Well, something told him that Shikamaru and Choji weren't so concerned, but Kiba was feeling insecure enough to approach him about it. It was…touching. Even more than that. Naruto couldn't quite find the words to say. He actually wanted to leap at Kiba and hug him so tightly.

This was his friend; someone who had stuck by him through his crazy antics, following him through all his bad decisions and pranks of his adolescence. They were banned from more stores than he could count on his two hands. It was actually really cute that Kiba was afraid of getting replaced. Naruto couldn't help the grin that threatened to split his face.

"What's with that stupid face?" Kiba said defensively. His tattooed cheeks were also tinged pink.

"Nothin'. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were jealous, Kiba-chan." Naruto snickered.

Kiba whacked him on the shoulder, hard. "Don't call me that, you moron! Geez, you're such a freak. I don't know why I hang out with you." He began walking faster.

Naruto swallowed his pain and jogged after his friend, laughing to take his mind off his ass. "That was mean. Kiba, you're one of my bestest friends ever. Something stupid like Sasuke getting his ass kicked out of private school isn't going to change that."

Kiba wasn't mollified by this. "You only hang out with him now."

Naruto had to admit that he was neglecting his other friends. He hadn't even thought about it until now. Being with Sasuke had returned to being second nature for him, like when they were kids. It was always _Naruto and Sasuke_, like they were a packaged deal. If Naruto went somewhere, he had probably dragged Sasuke along. Shop owners and teachers would see them and greet them conjointly. Now it almost felt like they were being prepared all this time for the moment they got together for real. Like their act last night should be announced to the whole town and all of Konoha would throw their hands in the air, shouting out a synchronized '_FINALLY_!'

But back then, Naruto didn't have many other friends. Sasuke was all he needed. It wasn't until he was gone that he grew closer with Kiba, Shikamaru and Choji. And with those three, their group only continued to expand with the girls added into the mix. It felt like one huge family, one he cherished deeply. And he had been abandoning them…

"I'm sorry…" Naruto sighed in defeat.

Kiba looked at him as though he had suddenly sprouted fox ears and a bushy tail. "What? Dude, I don't want you to apologize. Just…come eat lunch with us today. It's no fun without you."

"Yeah, definitely." Naruto smiled. It was a really good feeling to know that no matter which way he turned, there were people ready to support him.

* * *

><p>"Man, it sucks that the first day of Golden Week has to be on a Sunday," Choji shrugged his big shoulders up to his ears as though he were getting chills. "Just one day over! That's all I ask!"<p>

"Then Boys' Day would be on a Sunday." Shikamaru informed him before taking a sip of his drink.

Naruto spoke through a mouthful of hamburger, "What are you complaining about, Choji? We're getting the whole week off of school. From this Sunday to next week's. We're completely free!" He choked a little on his food, smiling in gratitude when Shikamaru pushed his drink closer to him.

"Oi, Choji, quit stealing my fries!" Kiba snapped when the chubby boy popped another one of his fried potatoes into his mouth. Growling in annoyance, he turned to the other two boys at the table. "So what are your plans for Golden Week? Let me guess," he looked pointedly at Naruto. "Gonna spend it with Uchiha?"

Naruto frowned, but he wasn't too hurt by Kiba's words due to the talk they had earlier that morning. "For your information, I was going to spend it wrapped up in the covers of my bed. Golden Week is my time of hibernation."

"Not with all the homework Ibiki sensei and Anko sensei assigned us you won't." Shikamaru, the ever so helpful (and unwanted) reminder, said.

Naruto glared at him, his throat vibrating with a snarl.

"I vote going to Shikamaru's and copying his work," Kiba crooned. "All in favor?"

Naruto and Choji's hands shot high up enthusiastically into the air with Kiba's. Shikamaru muttered his usual 'troublesome,' but didn't object.

"Ah, there they are. Told you they'd be pigging out here."

Naruto's head shot up at the familiar voice and beamed as Sakura, Ino, Tenten, and Hinata approached the booth the boys were occupying. "Ladies!" he greeted cheerily. "What brings you to seek us out in our secret headquarters?"

Kiba looked up from his food and immediately straightened at the sight of Hinata. They smiled bashfully at each other in silent greeting.

Sakura rolled her eyes, but she couldn't keep from smiling. "We were just wondering about you boys' plans for Golden Week."

"Well, all we've got so far is copying Shikamaru's homework. You've come at a bad time." Naruto said, feeling lame. Obviously the girls were looking into joining them for whatever activities they had devised.

"Don't use Shikamaru for homework material. Do it yourself!" Ino nagged, which was no surprise. Naruto smiled knowingly at her and her cheeks flushed a bit. The discoloration went unnoticed by Shikamaru who simply yawned and then took a sip of his drink. Naruto wanted to punch him, but he didn't have enough grounds to.

"A study group isn't a bad idea, though." Sakura said. She placed a finger on her chin, thinking. She suddenly turned to Hinata. "Isn't Neji coming home for Golden Week?"

Tenten answered for the shy girl instead. "Yeah! Lee is, too."

Tenten, Neji, and Lee had been an odd assortment of friends. Lee and Neji were upperclassmen, just a year ahead of the rest of the group. A lot of people teased Tenten for hanging out with the two older boys, saying she had a crush on them and always asking which one she was going to marry. Naruto never saw it that way. All three were on the kendo team at school, Neji having been the captain last year. Tenten took his place when he graduated, something she worked very hard for; partly to prove that girls could be just as good at boys in anything.

To Naruto, Hyuuga Neji had seemed a bit stuck up at first. He was also very traditional, something he grew up with in the Hyuuga household. Hinata wasn't as strict as him when it came to that sort of thing. Neji believed in fate and balancing chi or something. He was gifted and very quiet; however, if you asked him to explain something, you had better have found a comfortable seat because he wasn't going to shut up until he had thoroughly gone through the whole process in precise, chronological order.

Rock Lee, on the other hand, didn't care much for sitting down and listening. He was a very hands-on learner, and Naruto liked that about him. He was kick ass in Judo, as was Neji, and used to compete against the Hyuuga for mere sport. Naruto had watched a few of their matches, but neither would ever win. They'd simply bow to and thank each other for the match. Naruto didn't get that part, but he loved to watch them in action. Man, if he could do that he'd be kicking so much ass (possibly even take down Sasuke's group in two minutes flat)! Oh, back to Lee. He had adopted Gai sensei's views on life about youth and keeping fit, or whatever it was that Gai sensei always babbled about in PE class.

All in all, Naruto couldn't wait to see Neji and bushy brows again. He hadn't seen them since they left for university.

"That's perfect!" Sakura squealed, making Naruto realize that he had been zoning out the whole time they were making plans. "Naruto, call Sasuke and invite him. You have his number, right? I'll invite Karin, too."

"What?" Naruto asked dumbly.

Rolling her eyes, Sakura looked at him in exasperation. Her pink phone was already in her hands, prepared to put her plans into motion. "Weren't you listening? We're all going to go to Hinata's on Wednesday for a study group. Neji and Lee will join us to help since they're our senpais. Now call Sasuke!"

"Fiiiine," Naruto groaned, and he pushed Shikamaru out of the booth so he could take the call outside. Sakura followed him since she would be calling Karin. They stood on opposite sides of the automatic door to the McDonalds.

Naruto tapped his foot as he waited for Sasuke to answer, looking over his shoulder when Sakura got a hold of Karin much faster and began to jabber to her excitedly.

"_Hello?"_

Naruto twisted forward and grinned at the sound of Sasuke's voice. He hadn't really spoken to him all day since they only had morning classes, and then Kiba had dragged Naruto away once they were released. "Hey Sasuke, it's me. What's up?"

"_Lying on my bed, wondering why you called to ask me what was up."_

"On your bed, huh? What are you wearing?" Naruto teased, glancing behind him to make sure Sakura was still sucked into her own girl talk, which she was. He thought he heard her mention something about pudding and wasn't at all surprised that she and Karin had gone off topic.

"_You've become quite bold after only one night of sex. Your ass must be feeling better."_

Naruto's cheeks heated at the mention of his pain from this morning. He stepped into the narrow alley between the McDonalds and the store next door. "Much better, actually. Jerk."

"_Why am I a jerk now?"_

"It's your fault I could barely walk this morning!"

"_I'll try to keep in mind to be tender to your rear end next time."_

Naruto snorted. "The thought is appreciated, but not the sarcasm." Sasuke let out a laugh on the other end, making Naruto's heart do a summersault and then a series of jumping jacks. He gripped his phone tighter in his hand and smiled. "So…when will this next time be exactly?"

There was silence at first. _"Is there a reason you called Naruto? I'm just asking, because I'm sure you didn't call to plan out our next fuck."_

Sasuke's sensitivity never ceased to amaze Naruto. "I wanted to know what you were wearing, remember?"

"_A towel, but really, why did you call me?"_

"Wait, did you just say a towel? _Only_ a towel? Are you trying to turn me on, Uchiha?" Naruto was having too much fun right now. Who knew that one night together could make him open up like _this_ to Sasuke? It wasn't exactly that he had become more perverse or anything. He simply felt very comfortable and open to Sasuke about anything and everything. He could probably blatantly say _butt sex_ at this very moment and not feel awkward or embarrassed. Is this what sex did to people?

He tried to imagine what all the girls would be like after they had sex, and he actually laughed out loud at an image of Hinata becoming very forward and grabbing Kiba's crotch in front of the group.

"_What's so funny?" _Sasuke's tone was irritated.

Naruto waved his hand dismissively, then realized that Sasuke couldn't see him. "Nothing, nothing. Just had a funny thought. Okay, now to the point of this phone call. This Wednesday we're all going to Hinata's for a study group. Neji and Lee will be there. You in?"

There was a gap of silence save for Sasuke's even breaths. _"Neji and Lee?" _he muttered seemingly to himself. _"I think I remember them. I fought with them once."_

Naruto's eyes widened at this information. Sasuke had a fight with their senpai before? Oh, he remembered now! Yeah, when they were ten, Lee had challenged Sasuke for Sakura's heart! Naruto had demanded that Lee fight him instead since he had loved Sakura way more _and_ he bragged that he was stronger than Sasuke. The duel had come to an end when Gai sensei, who had been passing by at the time, stopped them. If Naruto recalled correctly, Sasuke had ended up on the losing side even if it was considered a draw.

However, Naruto couldn't remember a time when Sasuke and Neji had a fight. Maybe he just forgot about it or they had one when Naruto wasn't around? Neji never really did hang out with them much as a kid since he thought that being a year older than them made him far more mature and advanced. Naruto also recalled that Neji had some kind of grudge against Hinata back then, but he was over it by the time they were all in senior high school.

Naruto shook his head to rid himself of all the distracting thoughts. He frowned in determination at the wall across from him, pretending Sasuke was standing in front of him. He was glaring right back much to Naruto's amusement. "Now listen, you're not going there to settle some score from way back then! This is just a group activity to get the holiday homework out of the way so we can enjoy Golden Week in peace! Now are you gonna join us or not?"

"_Hn. What's in it for me?"_

"What? Why do you have to get something out of it? I think you owe me since it was a literal pain in the ass to walk this morning."

"_Not the worst thing I've done."_ Sasuke muttered, but Naruto could hear the teasing in his tone.

"Well you did poke me in the ass with a shinai that one time. You've always had it out for my ass. And now you finally have my virginity. Proud of yourself, Uchiha?" Again, he felt giddy at being able to speak more freely about this with Sasuke. As though some invisible barrier in his mind had been torn down, and he could stand right up there with Sasuke to catch his words and throw them right back.

"_You say that like it's the first time I poked you there. Remember during the sports festival in elementary school? I got you with the baton during the relay race."_

Naruto froze, the world going hazy around him as he recalled that horrid day. "You bastard! I knew you did that on purpose! I had to poop really badly, I hope you know! You made it ten times worse! You've had it out for my ass since back then?"

"_I kept telling you it wasn't intentional. It really wasn't. You think I knew about my feelings for you back then?"_ Sasuke sounded as irritated as he did back then when Naruto kept childishly accusing him of rape.

Naruto hummed in wonder, feigning suspicion of the other teen. "This case will be placed on hold until further evidence can be attained."

Sasuke snorted and muttered a 'whatever' before sighing in contentment. _"So Wednesday," _he said, reminding Naruto the main reason why he had called Sasuke. _"What time?"_

"Oh shit, I don't know," he laughed. "I don't think they told me. I'll text it to you later."

"_Idiot,"_

He gaped at the insult, which many people argued as a nickname for him, but in this case it was definitely an insult. "You called me that last night, too, and considering the circumstances it was totally uncalled for."

"_Don't make fart jokes during sex if you don't like it." _Sasuke retorted.

"I was genuinely curious! I mean, what happens if you fart and there's a dick up your ass? You were plugging its only escape, Sasuke! I didn't want to burp out gas in your face! It's just not romantic!"

"_I'm hanging up now," _Sasuke announced.

Naruto chuckled. The guy was probably wondering to himself why he had feelings for Naruto (just an instinctual feeling), which the blond could answer with one, simple question. Who _couldn't_ love him?

"All right, teme. I'll email you tonight with more information. Later." He ended the call, smiling down at his phone. The world came back into existence all around him. How did that happen? How did he get so wrapped up in Sasuke that they literally had their own reality to escape to when just talking to each other? Naruto had almost forgotten that he was with friends at McDonalds; that they were waiting for him to find out if they had an extra person joining them for a study group.

He vaguely wondered if this was what love was like, but he quickly dismissed the idea. There was just no way.

He stepped out of the passage and rounded the corner, biting back a shout of surprise when Sakura was standing right there. Her arms were behind her back, hands clasped around her cell phone, and she was staring down at her elevated shoes.

Naruto swallowed thickly, reminiscing on just how invested he had been in his and Sasuke's reality. He tried to play the nonchalant card, not wanting to get worked up over nothing. "Sakura-chan? How long have you been standing there?"

Sakura looked at him with narrowed green eyes, but they quickly widened to normal. "Huh? Oh, not long. I just got done and was waiting for you. Ready to go back in?" She wasted no time in heading for the automatic doors. Naruto had to chase after her.

"You okay?" He took hold of her wrist without thinking.

To his shock, Sakura turned around and glared at him. It was very brief; if he had blinked he would have missed it. She closed her eyes and smiled at him. It was forced, Naruto could tell. "I'm fine, Naruto. You worry too much." She sighed and shook his hand off her wrist. Looking down at the tile floor, she spoke hesitantly. "I just think I've gained a little weight."

Naruto's eyes widened. Is that what this was all about? He had thought for a minute there that Sakura was really pissed about something legitimately concerning. Geez, girls were so bizarre! "You look fine, Sakura-chan!" Naruto assured her. "You always do! You have one of the greatest bodies in all of Konoha!"

This time Sakura gave him a genuine smile. "Thanks, Naruto. You're really sweet. I don't deserve a friend like you."

What was she saying? Girls really are crazy. He attempted to squeeze the life out of the girl, not caring about the other patrons that were staring. "Of course you do, Sakura-chan!"

"Could you two love birds take a seat before you give us all diabetes?" Some guy called out from his seat near the door. He was dressed in the Konoha Junior High uniform and probably thought he was cool for making fun of two senior high students. His buddies sure thought it was funny.

Nonetheless, Naruto and Sakura returned to their table where Hinata and Kiba were squeezed between Ino and Shikamaru on their right, and Tenten and Choji on their left. Naruto almost felt bad for them when he demanded they make room for him and Sakura.

_Almost_.

* * *

><p>Naruto nudged Kiba's arm with his elbow when Hinata's little sister, Hanabi, entered the room to set down yet another tray of potato chip bags and other junk food. "You should help her serve the food." He whispered.<p>

"What?" Kiba kept his voice equally low, but made sure Naruto saw his confusion.

The blond inconspicuously nodded to the girl as she set the bowls down on the table. "Dude, if you can get the little sister to like you then you're in with Hinata, no sweat."

"What are you talking about?" Kiba's eyes flitted around to make sure that everyone else at the big, round table was still focused on Neji's explanation to their complicated science homework.

"Think about it. Girls like to talk about boys when they're together, sisters especially. If Hanabi thinks you're cool, then she'll bring you up to Hinata!" Naruto almost laughed at the vacant expression that adorned Kiba's face as he thought about the girl of dreams talking about him and thinking about him somewhere else other than when he was standing right in front of her.

"Hanabi, let me help you with that." Hinata offered quietly, unknowingly drawing Kiba and Naruto's attention to her.

Naruto's elbowing became much more persistent, practically beating Kiba with bruising force. "Okay- ow, okay, okay!" Kiba hissed, shoving Naruto's arm away. He got up quickly and followed the two girls out of the room, stammering out that he would help, too.

Naruto chuckled and looked at Sakura on his right, but she hadn't been paying attention to their exchange. That was a good thing since she probably would have called him an idiot for suggesting that all girls ever talked about was boys (even though it was _true_).

He looked around the low set table, studying all the faces. Suigetsu and Jugo, both dragged here by Karin, were sitting respectfully upright with their notebooks in front of them. They had even bowed to Hinata and Neji and thanked them for having them over when they arrived, something Naruto was willing to bet his entire allowance on that Sasuke had made them do.

The Uchiha was currently wedged between Sakura and Karin. Amusingly enough, all three of them seemed to be in deep concentration over their school work. As for Naruto and Kiba, they hadn't even touched lead to paper yet. It was just so much easier to look off of someone else's work, though when he turned to peek at Sakura's notebook she barred her teeth at him. Maybe he shouldn't have been so conspicuous abut copying her work,

Ino was directing all of her questions to Shikamaru, and he was actually helping her even though he looked ready to doze off while doing it. The guy slept through most of his classes so how he was one of the smartest kids in the school was baffling to Naruto. If he could get away with sleeping during class and still get higher than an eighty-five then he'd be set! Ino also did well in class, but every now and then she played the dumb card for obvious (Shikamaru) reasons.

Lee wasn't as helpful as Neji so he kept to a "low" murmur with Choji, the chubby teen gladly breaking into the food that had just been brought out. Shino, a boy that Naruto only knew through Kiba and Hinata (they had been friends since they were little), listened intently to Neji along with Tenten. Or at least Naruto thought he was listening. He honestly couldn't tell with those sunglasses on; the guy could be sleeping sitting up for all he knew.

Naruto smiled to himself. Seeing all his friends (and yes, he was including Suigetsu and Jugo) together in one place really was a sight to behold. Usually they were scattered around, as if in subcategories, and the full effect of the enormity of his circle was lost on him. But wow, he had a lot of friends. They would have a problem if they decided to go to the movies as a group. As if taking in a breath of fresh air from atop a mountain, Naruto let out a satisfied sigh.

Two hours later, everyone took a break from studying and migrated to the kitchen where they chattered over tea. Naruto glanced away from Sakura as she told him of what she had been doing over the break up until today. He frowned when he saw Kiba lean in close to Sasuke and say something in his ear. Sasuke's expression remained inert, but he dismissed himself from the group and followed Kiba out into the hallway.

What were those two doing? Oh no, what if Kiba was going to give Sasuke grief about stealing away Naruto or something? That wasn't cool, Kiba! He had promised he would hang out with them more, and he was keeping to his word!

"Naruto?"

"Huh?" Naruto responded automatically to his name and turned back to Sakura.

She frowned, clearly upset that he hadn't been listening. "What about you? What have you been up to?"

Naruto blinked, forcing his thoughts back onto their previous topic. He had to have faith that neither Kiba nor Sasuke would do something as stupid as get into a fight when everyone was having such a good time. Heck, even Jugo and Suigetsu were getting along with everyone much better than he would have expected.

"Uh…" Naruto began. "I went to Jiraiya's place on Shōwa Day. He treated me to ramen for dinner." He almost drooled as he remembered how good the broth had been.

"Oh, Jiraiya's back in town? I didn't know that." Sakura knew Jiraiya from Naruto introducing them. She had thought him to be charming at first, and then later ended up punching him square in the face when he offered to go bra shopping with her since she needed more padding. Her second encounter with him hadn't been too pleasant either since she walked in on him getting beaten to a pulp by Tsunade, their principal.

Naruto laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, he's been here for a few weeks. He's working on another one of his books."

Sakura wrinkled her nose in distaste, knowing full well what kind of material Jiraiya's books covered. Their homeroom teacher was a fan.

"Yeah, I know," Naruto said without her having to comment. "And other than that, I've been sleeping in late and playing video games at either Kiba or Choji's house."

"Oh," Sakura glanced down at her tea.

"Oh?" Naruto asked. Had he done something wrong? Or maybe he hadn't done enough?

"Well, I just thought," Sakura moved her free hand around aimlessly. "That maybe you would have spent some time with Sasuke-kun."

What was this? Did everyone think that now that Sasuke was back, Naruto was glued to his hip? Needed him like life support or something? "Geez, not you, too," Naruto groaned. "Kiba already talked to me about how I was blowing everybody off for Sasuke, okay? I promised him I'd spend all of Golden Week with him and the guys so you don't need to get on my back about it, too."

Sakura's eyes bulged, obviously not expecting such a tetchy response. "I'm sorry, that isn't what I meant at all. But good, I'm glad he spoke to you. He had been moping about it all last week."

Naruto's cheeks flared from his hostile response and he muttered an apology. He watched her carefully, chewing on the inside of his cheek before finally speaking again. "Was he…" He cleared his throat. "Was he really that upset?"

"Naruto's done nothing but follow Uchiha around like a lost puppy since he got here." Sakura said in a dramatically gruff voice, imitating Kiba's frown that was more of a pout than anything. "He's worse than that girl with the glasses."

Naruto laughed louder than he should have, slapping a hand over his mouth to catch his voice. Sakura giggled with him, bowing her head in embarrassment for poorly mocking Kiba's voice. "He really said that?" Naruto asked from behind his hand.

Sakura nodded, unable to stop her fit of laughter. Naruto was no better off.

He turned just in time to see Kiba coming back into the kitchen alone, immediately being approached by Hinata who had been holding his cup. He stood there and spoke to her casually while Naruto waited for Sasuke to come in as well, but he never did. Kiba didn't…did he? Could he have really overpowered Sasuke so easily? They were only gone a few minutes. He hadn't _heard_ anything, but then again how could he in this room full of chattering teenagers? Hmm…if he were Kiba, how would he kill Sasuke? Probably something dumb like death by swirly or bludgeoned to death with a hairdryer. No, stop! Kiba wouldn't risk going to jail and leaving Hinata by herself just so he could murder Sasuke!

He was being ridiculous.

Neji suggested that they should all get back to work so that no one would have to leave when it was dark. Everyone brought their conversation to a close as they flooded back into the room. Naruto was relieved when he saw that Sasuke was already sitting back in his seat. There wasn't any sign of a fight with either of them, making him relax. Wow, he really did let his imagination get the best of him sometimes.

* * *

><p>Naruto hummed some imaginary tune to himself as he dug through his backpack in search of his key. When he didn't find it in its usual pouch, he squatted in front of the door to his apartment and set his bag between his legs. He just about pulled everything out before accepting the reality of the situation.<p>

His key was missing.

Well that was just great. Those keys had a keychain that had sentimental value to him. It was a fox charm that Jiraiya had gotten while in Hokkaido and was engraved with a prayer of protection on the back. It was one of Naruto's favorite gifts from the old pervert. How could he have been so careless as to lose it?

He'd have to go back to Hinata's tomorrow and ask if they happened to have found it while cleaning up. In the meantime, he would have to go ask his landlord for a spare (much to his annoyance).

* * *

><p>"You sure it's okay for me to be here today?" Naruto asked as he removed his shoes at the front door of the Inuzuka house on Saturday. He followed his friend down the hall, glancing into the living room to see Hana bent over something on the coffee table, her three dogs lying around their master dutifully.<p>

"Of course!" Kiba patted Akamaru's head as the dog followed alongside of him. "It was my mom's idea anyway." He turned into the kitchen where his mother was working over the stove.

Her hair was wild and stuck out in all directions, yet it suspiciously didn't sway too much when she whipped her head around to see the two boys who had entered the kitchen. "Good, you're here. Kiba, set the table." She ordered austerely. Her tone and features softened when she turned her attention on Naruto. "Naruto, welcome back. How are you today?"

Naruto knew that this front was just a way to get him to ease up in their house before she began barking at him just as much as Kiba for either being too loud or not cleaning up after themselves. His hands curled into fists as he prepared himself. "I'm good. Thank you for inviting me to your home even though it's a holiday."

"You think I care that it's Boys' Day?" And there it was, her voice raising and making Naruto instinctively clench his buttocks. "I'd much prefer that it was back in March instead of Girls' Day! Then I wouldn't have to celebrate this punk's bullshit two times in a row." She jutted a thumb to Kiba who growled at her in annoyance.

Naruto laughed nervously, knowing that she was referring to the fact that there were no other holidays between Boys' Day and Kiba's birthday. Kiba looked at him pleadingly and he shrugged, unsure of what the other teen wanted him to do. "Uh…" he began, Kiba's mother glaring at him as a way to show that she was waiting to hear what he had to say. "Too bad Marine Day doesn't come on the first Monday of July, huh?"

The sound of Kiba slapping a hand to his forehead echoed in the silence.

Kiba's mom grunted and turned back to the pot on the stove. "Who cares about Marine Day anyway?"

Naruto frowned. Clearly his outstanding wit was wasted on this family.

"Hey Naruto," Hana called from the threshold, making Naruto turn to look at her. "Come with me." She clutched something orange to her chest and headed further down the hall to the back door.

Naruto followed her, nearly getting run over by her dogs when they rushed after her in excitement. He checked behind him to see if Kiba was coming, but realized he was being left to fend for himself. Oh well, he could handle being alone with Hana. She was far more laidback than the rest of the family. She probably got it from their father whom Naruto never met. According to Kiba, his mother scared his dad off shortly after he was born. Shikamaru always did say that moms were scary. Naruto wondered if his would have been the same.

Stepping into the large backyard, Naruto sighed as he reveled in how much he disliked Boys' Day. It was a day when families celebrated the sons and mothers. Samurai dolls were on display in almost every window he passed, and colorful koi streamers billowed in the breeze from every roof and apartment balcony, covering the sky. As tradition, the biggest koi windsock was black, representing the father. The next one, only slightly smaller and red, represented the mother. The smallest one, if there was only one son in the household, was blue.

All of it was one big reminder of Naruto's abandonment. No dolls to put on display, no streamer to hang. No family to pray for his future success, no parents for him to show gratitude to. Just an empty apartment with one occupant.

"Over here, Naruto!" Hana called, breaking Naruto out of his resentful thoughts. He blindly followed her around the shady side of the house, only showing curiosity of where they were going when they arrived at a ladder. Hana ascended it quickly, shouting for him to join her on the roof.

Naruto eyed the ladder up and down before shuffling around the dogs to get to it. He felt like he was under a spotlight when the dogs stared after him as he climbed. He stopped and looked down at them, all three completely stoic. He frowned and continued climbing.

He graciously accepted the hand offered to him when he reached the top. He sat down next to Hana and scooted after her as inched towards the pole where two long koi windsocks that represented Kiba and his mother whipped around violently in the sudden wind that came in from the north. They looked like captured fish that wanted so badly to escape their hooks swim freely in the sky. _Alas, their fate is sealed and they will remain trapped here to gaze up at the sky only once a year_, Naruto thought bitterly.

Why did Hana bring him up here? He really wasn't in the mood to get a better view of the neighboring streamers.

"Here," Hana shoved the orange material she had been holding earlier at him. "Hold onto it tightly, now. I worked really hard on it."

Naruto took the flailing fabric and smoothed it out over his lap to examine it. His lips parted, but no words came out. There, stretched over his thighs, was an orange and white koi streamer. He looked up at Hana, his mouth mimicking a carp's as words failed him.

Kiba let out a loud grunt as he settled onto the roof next to him, their shoulders touching when he leaned on Naruto. He pointed to the windsock and said, "You get the smallest one because you're younger."

Hana smirked and took the koi streamer from Naruto, ready to hang it with the rest.

He wasn't sure why, but he couldn't see the streamers all too well suddenly. His vision was blurry and shapes became nothing but contorted colors. He dug the heels of his hands into his eyes to get rid of the tears threatening to spill out. What was this? What was going on? He knew the answer to those questions and yet he was so scared that when he opened his eyes he would be just waking up in his lonely apartment on a holiday he loathed because he couldn't participate.

The wind didn't stop and Naruto dubbed it safe to open his eyes again. He could see the streamers much clearer now. Hana smiled warmly at him and Naruto whipped his head around to look at Kiba with wet eyes.

Kiba scratched the back of his head nervously, refusing to make eye contact. "I never really thought about it much before, but this is a day to celebrate guys so no guy should be alone today, right?" He fidgeted in his spot, a frown wrinkling his brow. "Your parents are idiots for not appreciating your life! You're one hell of a son and they're missing out big time! So…don't let a stupid holiday get ya down because of a couple of morons, okay?"

They almost fell off the roof from the force of Naruto's hug. Naruto was fumbling around in his minds for words; all he could do was squeeze his best friend until the brunette wheezed for mercy.

"Kiba…I…" Naruto released him to wipe his eyes with the back of his hands.

"Naruto, it's just a streamer. You don't have to make a formal speech or anything. Just a simple thank you will suffice." Kiba said, obviously finding this hesitant, teary side of his friend weird.

Naruto laughed and punched the teen in the arm playfully. "Thanks," he turned to Hana. "Thank you so much. This means a lot. It's probably one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me."

And it was. Sure, people have shown him kindness throughout the years, and Naruto held them dear in his heart. He appreciated every little thing that anyone ever did for him. This was something bigger, though. This took things to a level that was out of his comfort zone. This wasn't 'sweet' or 'thoughtful' of them. This was downright cruel…in the worst way possible, too!

The love Naruto was feeling for this family was insurmountable and he couldn't even tell them! He didn't know where to start, if he even could. Was it wrong of him to want to stay here with this family, in this moment? He wanted to wrap himself in it like a blanket and sit right there on the roof, refusing to budge. But that was selfish of him. All he could do was smile and thank them. Because he _was_ grateful. So fucking grateful it hurt.

"As long as you're happy," Hana said sweetly, pushing Naruto's bangs out of his face when she ran a hand over his head. Kiba really did have the coolest sister ever. "We're just sorry that we hadn't thought of this sooner. All those years wasted."

Naruto shook his head. "No, this is more than-"

"Wow, looks great you guys!" Kiba's mother suddenly hollered from the backyard. "Now come inside! It's time for lunch!"

Kiba cheered and scrambled for the ladder. "Yeah! Oyakodon!"

"Oyakodon?" Naruto asked in surprise, following his friend. He hadn't been expecting a pun dish on a holiday, but he supposed that they were going against tradition anyway so why not take it all the way.

By evening the table was cleared and Tsume had Naruto and Kiba clean the kitchen and dishes. As Naruto put his shoes on at the front door, Kiba's mother handed him a short, fat samurai doll. She ordered him to put it on display wherever he ended up next year since he would always be like a son to her. Naruto thanked the family again before leaving the house.

He was honestly relieved to be out of there. He had been smothered with so many emotions at once that he felt like his chest was going to burst. His thoughts and feelings would be splattered on the walls and members of the Inuzuka family and he would have had an even bigger mess to clean up. He would have to think of someway to show them his gratitude properly. Maybe splurge on their Christmas presents this year. He'd have to start saving his money now.

The ringing of his phone cut his thoughts short and he stuck the samurai under his left arm to dig out his phone from his pocket. He smiled at the name on the screen and slid it open to answer. "Hey."

"_Narutoooooo,"_ Jiraiya drawled. _"Having a good Children's Day so far?"_

Normally Naruto would be annoyed by that question, but he couldn't stop from smiling. "Yeah, actually. Really good." He heard what sounded like glasses clinking and voices murmuring in the background, some closer than others. "You're at a bar, aren't you? You know you're supposed to be working on your book."

"_You sound like my editor. When will you people understand that I need inspiration to write?" _At least he didn't sound _too_ drunk.

Naruto smiled, but then quickly winced. "Oh, right. I'm sorry, perv. I lost my keys with the fox keychain you gave me. I swear they just vanished."

"_I don't remember giving you a fox." _Jiraiya admitted quickly. _"Did you do anything today?"_

Despite being annoyed about the keychain, Naruto told him about his afternoon at Kiba's house. He made sure to leave out the part where he cried, but he certainly found it much easier to express his feelings about the whole thing now that the moment was passed. He really wished he could have been this fluent to Kiba's family's face.

"_That's great to hear, kid. I was worried that you'd be spending the day by yourself, but I'm glad that you have such nice friends that are willing to do that for you. You know, when your mother was pregnant with you, she had been really excited when the doctor told her it was a boy. She had your dad hang three koi streamers outside the house even though you weren't born yet." _Jiraiya said something under his breath, getting a giggly response from some woman. _"I have to go now. Have a pleasant night. I know I will!"_

Naruto frowned when the call ended, glaring at his phone as he slid it shut. He wasn't upset about Jiraiya hanging up on him in a hurry. That wasn't it at all. He was beginning to wish that the pervert would stop telling him all these contradicting things about his parents loving him unconditionally even before he was born. Because if that was the case, then where the hell were they now? What had changed? Why wasn't he celebrating Boys' Day with them in their house right now? Why was he walking back to his sucky, empty apartment right now?

Looking up to see his building come into view, he felt the anger bubbling within him suddenly evaporate. He could always see his balcony from this point in the street, that wasn't unusual. But something was different tonight. Dangling helplessly from the protruding railing was a pair of koi streamers, one dark blue and the other a vibrant orange.

Stopping in his tracks, Naruto stared at them in mystification. Did they get carried off in the wind from earlier in the afternoon and somehow get tangled on his railing? But they looked to be tied their so neatly…

His feet began to move without him even thinking about it, and he suddenly sprint the remaining block to his building, never taking his eyes off his balcony until he got inside. He rushed up the stairs to his apartment, taking two at a time. His heart thudded in his chest as he stood outside the door. One hand in his pocket, gripping his keys, he hesitantly twisted the door knob and opened the door.

_Unlocked_, Naruto thought in mild panic. What was going on today? First Kiba's house and now someone had broken into his apartment to hang up koi streamers? Was this some kind of practical joke, or…

"You're late."

Naruto let out the breath he hadn't been aware he was holding and turned to his kitchen.

"Take your shoes off and close the door. Don't forget to lock it." Sasuke commanded from where he sat in one of Naruto's kitchen chairs.

Naruto did as he was told and stumbled into the kitchen, sniffing the air. "You're cooking?"

"You were running late so I had to heat it up again." Sasuke got out of the chair and stood at the stove, turning off the burner under the pot. He used a fork to scoop the noodles out and place them into two bowls before carefully pouring equal amounts of broth from the pot into them.

Licking his lips at the sight of the ramen, Naruto returned his attention to the raven-haired teen. "Sasuke, how did you get in here? You better not have picked my lock."

Sasuke faced him silently and dug something out of his pocket. He tossed it onto the middle of the kitchen table, a fox keychain swaying back and forth from the momentum then settling. "I swiped them from your bag on Wednesday. Sorry if that caused you any problems but it had to be done. Did you have fun at Kiba's?"

Naruto stared at him, perplexed. "Yeah, but how did you…" Realization hit him like a ton of bricks, making his head spin. Just moments ago he had been fuming over going home to an empty apartment and now Sasuke was here waiting for him with reheated ramen. Saying he was late because he had been expecting him to leave Kiba's house sooner than later. His vision went blurry again, losing sense of everything's shape. He hugged the samurai doll to his chest, using it as an anchor. "Did you guys plan this?"

"It was Kiba's idea." Sasuke admitted with a shrug.

Naruto let out a laugh and wiped his eyes, appreciative of nothing in particular when no more tears threatened to make an appearance. Honestly, this wasn't like him at all. "Thanks Sasuke."

Sasuke nodded and resumed serving the ramen, sitting back in his chair from before. He waited for Naruto to sit down and begin shoveling noodles into his mouth before starting his own bowl.

"Thought you didn't like ramen," Naruto smiled knowingly. It fell when Sasuke didn't make a comment, not taking the bait much to Naruto's annoyance. He tried a different approach. "The streamers…where'd ya get them?"

This time the Uchiha responded. "They're the ones Itachi puts out every year. He said I could take them."

"He knows you're here?"

"Mhm,"

Naruto smiled to himself. He never really thought much about how poor Itachi must feel about Sasuke's delinquency. It must give him a peace of mind to know that Sasuke was somewhere like Naruto's apartment instead of in a street brawl. Not that Naruto was bragging or anything; he knew that he was inadvertently some other kind of gateway to hell when it came to Sasuke's innocence. It wasn't his fault though, so he wasn't sorry.

After dinner, Sasuke ushered Naruto to his bedroom and pointed out a Darth Vader action figure that was posed with his red lightsaber high in the air on top of his dresser. He had some kind of shy pride about the set up.

"I don't know if you remember when they were selling those…" Sasuke said quietly when Naruto let out an obnoxious snort.

"I do, I do!" Naruto placed the samurai dolls Kiba's mother had given him next to the Darth Vader, snickering when the doll towered over the action figure. Turning back to Sasuke, he leaned against his dresser and smiled. "Thanks Sasuke. You didn't have to do all this."

"And to end the evening…" Sasuke moved over to the bed, shuffling through a plastic bag that Naruto had failed to notice till now. He stiffly faced Naruto and held his hands out, revealing a long tube in his right hand and a box of condoms in his left.

Blue eyes widened at the items, suddenly feeling like he was too young to know what they were. But that was just ridiculous. Smirking at Sasuke, he said, "Was this also part of Kiba's plan?"

"I may have made a few tweaks."

"Two boys having sex on Boys' Day? That's got to be some kind of bad omen." Naruto laughed at his own joke.

Sasuke shrugged with a hint of a smirk on his lips. "Seems appropriate since it _is _Boys' Day and not Boys' _and Girls'_ Day."

"You drive a convincing argument, Uchiha." Naruto twisted around and turned off the light, approaching Sasuke's silhouette in front of the window. Despite the confidence in his words, he hesitated with his lips a breath away from Sasuke's. Half a minute passed before hands grabbed him by his head and yanked him into a kiss. Naruto smiled into the kiss and forced his way back against the hands. It quickly became a battle of kiss-the-Naruto as he turned his head this way and that to avoid Sasuke's lips making contact with his. He was quite proud of how long he was able to hold out on his own before an animalistic growl from a disgruntled Uchiha made him take pity.

"Dobe," Sasuke mumbled against his lips when Naruto finally met him. "You can forget about me being gentle now."

Naruto glared at what he could see of Sasuke from the light coming in through his window. "That's a little unreasonable."

Sasuke smirked and pushed Naruto's opened shirt off his shoulders and didn't even wait for it to fall to the floor before lifting the hem of the long-sleeved undershirt over the head of blond hair.

Naruto was yanked forward by the small of his back; his bare chest flush against Sasuke's clothed one. He wasn't prepared for the bite to his neck and he gasped. His knees gave out beneath him for a moment from the shock and he had to grab the material of Sasuke's hoodie for support. The biting didn't let up and was suddenly being mixed with kisses, sucks, and an adventurous tongue.

It wasn't like he wanted to just stand around and let Sasuke do all the work, but….but that _mouth_. Oh god, those _teeth_! Fuck, if that nip had been just a little higher- oh, nope, he got it. Geez, he could barely stand and Sasuke was just feasting on him like a vampire. This wouldn't do. Naruto had to take some initiative and fast.

Calling on whatever emergency strength he could, he shoved Sasuke onto the bed and slapped a hand over his neck. His skin felt hot, but he knew that that was an internal thing rather than external. He unapologetically watched Sasuke pull the tube and now dented box of condoms out from under him. "Clothes off," Naruto said. He almost didn't recognize his own voice, it was husky and imposing.

Sasuke knocked the plastic bag off the bed before complying. He removed his sweatshirt, leaving his hair in disarray and then even more so when he peeled off his gray undershirt. He stood gracefully and undid his belt before staring at Naruto.

Naruto flushed at what he saw flash across Sasuke's visage. He glanced down at the pale hands holding both ends of the belt apart before returning his gaze to Sasuke's expectant face.

"Bastard," he hissed before stepping forward and roughly unbuttoning and unzipping his pants. He pushed them down Sasuke's legs, waiting for the other to step out of them before tossing them to the side. His hands glided up Sasuke's legs as he stood, stopping on narrow hips. His mouth went dry and he gripped Sasuke tighter.

He never got a chance to touch Sasuke in return last time, and now that the opportunity was presenting itself he couldn't swallow down his excitement. He looked down between their bodies, his baggy jeans helping to conceal his arousal while Sasuke's was prominent within his tight boxer briefs. Naruto didn't dare look at Sasuke's face while his right hand trailed over the fabric of the undergarment. Stopping centimeters away from the encased erection, he bit his bottom lip. He had never touched another penis besides his own. It was almost exhilarating to be so close to Sasuke's; knowing it was in this state because Sasuke was _aroused_ by Naruto.

Experimentally, he traced his fingers over the bulge. It twitched and Naruto bit back a laugh. A pale hand gripped his wrist suddenly and pushed his hand against the rock hard organ. Sasuke let out a sigh of relief and Naruto's head shot up to look at him.

Sasuke's eyes were closed and he looked as though he were sleeping standing up, though his cheeks were flushed.

Licking his dry lips, Naruto squeezed his hand around the erection.

Sasuke's eyebrows knitted together and he opened his eyes, revealing that they were glazed. He pulled Naruto's head forward with his free hand, kissing him soundly while he made the blond's captured hand rub against him through his underwear. He let out a shuddering breath into the kiss.

Naruto continued to rub Sasuke even as the hand on his wrist loosened and eventually released him in order to grab onto Naruto's hip for support. Very slowly as to not break whatever spell of submission Sasuke was currently under, he guided the boy to sit on the edge of the bed and then to fully lay on it. Naruto knelt on either side of Sasuke's thighs and massaged the bulge from a new angle.

Sasuke turned his head into the pillow, lips pressed together tightly and breathing fast and hard through his nose.

So erotic. So utterly and dreadfully erotic. Naruto's painful arousal begged to be released from the confines of his jeans, but he was afraid that taking his pants off would ruin the moment. That just couldn't happen. Sasuke was relenting to him and it was so unbelievably hot. And even if he could manage to undress all the way, he couldn't touch himself. He wouldn't. This wasn't about his pleasure. This was about Sasuke's. It was his alone and Naruto would give it to him as long as he was permitted.

Without any sudden movements, Naruto slipped his hand inside Sasuke's underwear and took hold of him.

"Naruto," Sasuke whispered, lifting his hips off the bed.

This was amazing! Naruto wanted to shout at the top of his lungs. Don't get him wrong, this wasn't dominance he was rejoicing in. He couldn't care less about that when it came to Sasuke; the bastard could have as much control as he wanted. This was a display of trust from Sasuke to Naruto. He was literally allowing Naruto to take him in his hands and bring him out of his comfort zone. Naruto wouldn't even dream of taking this any further, and he had a feeling that that was exactly why Sasuke was letting this happen.

Naruto kept his grip firm as he stroked Sasuke slow and steady. Sasuke's lips finally parted, jaw slack, and Naruto had to close his eyes at the moan that graced his ears. What a gorgeous sound. He pumped his hand faster, trying to engrain the texture of Sasuke's penis in his memory. Every vein stood out to him and each drop of pre-cum that got mixed into the action made Naruto a new level of giddy. He was making Sasuke feel good…

A hand caught him by his forearm and he stilled, realizing that his turn was over for the time being.

"You can stop now." Sasuke said in a gruff voice. "Take off the rest of your clothes."

"Okay," Naruto was quiet as he removed his hand. He got off the bed and bent over as he held his pants and boxers down to get his feet through the holes. He turned back to Sasuke who had discarded his own underwear and socks. The teen had moved Naruto's pillow to the foot of the bed and stared at him keenly.

Naruto licked his lips and settled down in front of Sasuke on the bed, head on the pillow and legs stretched on either side of Sasuke. He felt his heartbeat increase with panic when Sasuke's fingers glided over the insides of his thighs. Oh fuck no, not this again.

"No…" he whimpered.

Sasuke almost looked shocked at Naruto's resistance. "No?"

Naruto shook his head, eyes determined.

"But you liked it last time. Right here…" Before Naruto could do anything, Sasuke pressed his right thigh to the bed and took a big chomp of flesh.

"_God_!" The shout was inevitable. His thighs…his damn thighs! Why did he have to react like this? Great, and now Sasuke was chuckling, the sadistic bastard.

"'God,' huh?" Sasuke nuzzled the flexed limb that was clearly in the defensive now. "You really don't like it when I do this?" He left no room for a verbal answer, biting lower than before.

"No-oh! Ah…" Naruto shuddered. This guy was just asking to be smacked in the head. He would do it if he could just get his arms to stop gripping the sheet beneath him like a lifeline. He had to get Sasuke away from his thighs, but how? Convert his attention to his dick? No, somehow he had to get Sasuke away from that area completely.

No words were necessary from this point on. Reaching down, he touched the top of Sasuke's head to get his attention. Eyes on him, he could only pray that Sasuke could read the raw desire on his face. He licked his lips in invitation, and almost had to bite back a laugh when the effect was immediate.

Sasuke crawled up his body, pressing their pelvises together and claiming his lips. Their moans met somewhere in the middle, followed by even thicker sounds of gasping, panting. He reached between them to take hold of both their leaky erections, pumping them slowly.

Naruto was so absorbed in the moment that he wasn't sure how long they had stayed like that; like they were wrapped up in a void, nothing material around them. Even the bed felt like it had faded to nothing and all Naruto had in front of him was Sasuke. The hand worked both their needs teasingly, but the direct contact was stimulating enough on its own.

Sasuke stretched his neck out to give Naruto more room in his mouth's eager search. He used the distraction to feel around the bed for the tube of lube. He pushed up onto his knees and squeezed more than enough onto his fingers, muttering an apology when he spilled some of the cold gel on Naruto's belly. He leaned back on his haunches and smeared the lubricant on the puckered hole. He swallowed thickly, knowing he was going to get a chance to be inside Naruto again so soon.

Their hearts throbbed in unison.

Naruto could feel his in his throat. It was easier to remain relaxed without any instruction this time around now that he knew what to expect. Not that he really wanted to compare, but it was like taking a dump. If he just let Sasuke stretch him then there was no pain; it was almost natural. He inhaled sharply through his nostrils when Sasuke added a third finger. So he wasn't used to it _just_ yet…

He threw his head back with a silent scream when his prostate was prodded. He would _never_ get used to that. Never ever, but that didn't mean it didn't feel _sooo_ _good_. Who would have thought that such a sensitive bundle of nerves was inside him this whole time! It was crazy! He wondered if he would have ever discovered it if it weren't for Sasuke.

That was beside the point. Sasuke was pulling his fingers out now and wiping them clean on Naruto's bed. He watched the teen open the bent box of condoms and tear a single package off the chain. He ended up staring in fascination while Sasuke rolled the condom down his length. He wanted to reach out and feel it, but Sasuke was already getting into position. If Sasuke was surprised that Naruto lifted his hips in readiness he didn't show it.

Despite it having been a week since the last time they copulated, the descent into that intoxicating heat was brisk. It swallowed him inch by inch until he was balls deep in what Sasuke assumed both heaven and hell felt like. He couldn't keep his eyes open any longer, but the view of Naruto's face contorting as Sasuke entered him had been plenty. He supported Naruto's lower back with his hands and leaned over the blond.

Naruto met him halfway, propping himself up on his elbows on the pillow. The kiss was chaste compared to their current position. They rubbed their lips together while they positioned themselves more comfortably. A string of saliva clung to their mouths, but then vanished when they met again.

Unfortunately, Naruto had to pull away when Sasuke began his thrusting. It was hard enough to breathe without Sasuke stealing his breath away with such tender kisses. He was in so much deeper this time that Naruto had to withdraw his hips when the Uchiha delved in. Yet he followed after him when Sasuke pulled back.

"Fuck!" Naruto groaned when Sasuke slammed into his prostate with a powerful thrust. It actually felt so good that it hurt. "Mmmmm," he moaned harmoniously. "Sasuke..."

Taking that as a sign of approval, Sasuke drove his hips even faster and as hard as he could into Naruto. His nails bit into the small of Naruto's back with the intensity of his thrusts; he could barely hold on with the sweat accumulating on their bodies. He could tell he was leaving grooves in the tan skin but he really couldn't spare the mind to care as Naruto shouted his name again. The clenching muscles around him were ungodly.

"Sasuke! Shi…it!" Was it just Naruto or was the sex way more intense than before? Not that he couldn't handle it, but something told him in the back of his mind that he was going to have another rough morning. Call it instinct. Hadn't Sasuke promised to be gentler the next time? Oh yeah, he threw that privilege out the window with his playing-hard-to-get stunt. Sasuke had this stupid tendency to hold grudges over the stupidest things.

His bangs were clinging to his damp forehead so he reached a hand up to try to wipe some sweat away. His other arm failed to support him alone and he fell back on his pillow. Was he breathing? He was sure he could hear himself panting, feel his mouth drying from the constant sucking in and expelling air. Nonetheless, he was getting lightheaded and the feeling in his arms and legs were melting away to numbness (probably from the blinding force of Sasuke's thrusts). His voice was hoarse as he called out, "Your…hand…touch me like last…time! Ah!"

He was so close. His stomach was tight with the awareness of what was to be a powerful orgasm and his legs, which he had crossed at the ankles around Sasuke at some point, yanked on him as encouragement. The corners of his opened mouth twitched upward when his demand was met.

Sasuke only managed to give the pulsating dick a few wet strokes before Naruto was arching his back painfully and coming, _hard_. He quickly covered Naruto's mouth with his when the idiot let out the loudest cry of the night. His lips and cheeks vibrated as they swallowed Naruto's ecstasy. Somehow, Naruto's voice alone made him moan; that and the combination of tan hips rising to pull him in deeper and squeeze around him. He couldn't even finish his final thrust before reaching completion inside the condom.

Naruto was out of it while Sasuke pulled out. He didn't move a muscle the whole time Sasuke discarded the spent condom into the wastebasket, and even during the brief period that Sasuke wiped down Naruto's chest and stomach with a paper towel. He smiled in gratitude as he scooted over to make room for Sasuke on the bed, the raven-haired teen pulling the cover over them even though they were lying on the wrong end of the bed. "That was…" He swallowed to sooth his arid throat. "That was some plan you and Kiba cooked up."

Sasuke snorted. "Just looking out for your best interests. Every last one of them."

"Pft!" Naruto grinned big enough to flash his gums. He cupped his hands behind his head and sighed in satisfaction. Back in reality, he was free to think of how his friends were the best; he didn't know what he'd do without them. Between Kiba's efforts to make him feel like he had a family and Sasuke twisting his nipples, he couldn't ask for—

Wait, Sasuke twisting his nipples?

"Teme…" he growled despite his fluttering lashes. Sasuke had tried touching his nipples before when they were in the tub, but it had made Naruto feel emasculated. He associated the act as being something guys did to girls' breasts after having read about it in one of Jiraiya's books (Naruto had sneaked a peek at one of the pervert's manuscripts while he snored on the couch). The fact that Sasuke was trying again despite the initial rejection irritated Naruto.

Sasuke backed off, but only for a little while. He was soon tracing random shapes on Naruto's flushed chest with the pad of his middle finger. He waited for some kind of discouragement from the other teen. When he received none, he threw caution to the wind and lurched forward. He latched onto a pert nipple and sucked gently. He couldn't suppress his smirk when Naruto suddenly arched his back at the sensation, and he flicked his tongue over the bud.

Naruto leered at the smug bastard who was giving him the cockiest smirk in the history of…well…bastards. His body was still humming with the pleasure of their previous activities from _literally_ minutes ago. Despite having just come – and so intensely, too – he found himself getting painfully aroused. This was ridiculous! They were just nipples; how stimulating can they possibly be? He let out a frustrated growl and slipped his right hand from beneath his head to slam it against the wall. "Damn it, Sasuke! Can't you give me a break?"

Eyebrow raised in question, Sasuke lifted the blanket to get a view of Naruto's predicament. He kissed Naruto on the lips briefly and receded beneath the cover.

At first Naruto gawked at the large mound that was settling between his legs; he wasn't even feeling swept away by the moment like he usually did. He was just hard and Sasuke was being a pervert. But...oh…

In no time he was breathless from the moist heat that sheathed his sensitive organ. He moaned when strong thumbs massaged his inner thighs in slow circles that complimented the equally slow sucks. There was no time to warn Sasuke when he came all too soon. It hurt to be ejaculating a second time after such a short while, but that didn't distract him from the mildly horrifying realization that Sasuke was…_swallowing_ what came out of him. It wasn't much, yet Sasuke sucked and licked up every last drop like it was a delicacy. Did it actually taste good? He couldn't imagine it being that great.

Sasuke joined him on the pillow again. He smirked at the exhausted boy and combed his fingers through blond bangs.

"Sasuke…" Naruto caught Sasuke's wrist and held it to his chest, his eyes closed due to the swift ebbing of his consciousness. "Stay the night, please? I need you here right by my side…"

He was out before he even got an answer.

"Sure, dobe," Sasuke muttered. He did stay the night, as well as the entirety of the next day.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm going to get banned from FF for this, aren't I?<strong>

**Well…it was nice knowing you all.**


	9. When You Love Me I Can't Adjust

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**AN: So I got it all figured out and this story will be **_**fourteen**_** chapters! That's right! I sorted through all my notes, put them in order and labeled the chapters. I'm so ecstatic with the outcome. I've never been so ONE HUNDRED PERCENT sure about what was going to happen in a story, from beginning, middle, to end. It's a relief, honestly.**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed and to my silent readers! Love you all so much!**

**(P.S. E. Pure! Ohmigosh, it's been forever since I've heard from you! Sorry to hear about your Skype, that really sucks. Unfortunately your new account didn't show up in your review so I don't know what to do, but I'd love to talk to you again! If you happen to remember my account don't hesitate to add me.)**

**Okay, onto the story!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Nine<strong>

**When You Love Me I Can't Adjust**

"Today's the day! Sasuke!" It took everything in his power not to jump the boy where he sat calmly in his desk. How could he _not_ be excited about today? That was a rhetorical question, of course, because the only thing Naruto ever saw Sasuke get 'excited' over was molesting Naruto.

As time went on, he found himself less and less reluctant to think freely of his and Sasuke's…er…relationship. Neither of them had outwardly come out and said that they wanted to be in an exclusive relationship, but Naruto knew for a fact that Sasuke wasn't going to be seeing other people and Naruto wouldn't even dream of hurting Sasuke that way. They just…_were_…for the time being. They existed as a pair, knowing that if one or the other needed company it was them who answered the call.

Naruto didn't notice the twin pair of interested eyes on his back as he announced loudly, "Today are the kendo tryouts! I hope you brought your fighting spirit! Hah!"

He made a karate chop motion at Sasuke's head, his hand being easily caught between Sasuke's in a clapping motion. Dark eyes glared up at him, but it did nothing to help dissipate the broad grin on his face.

"Naruto," Sakura called behind him, making both boys turn to see her and Ino standing with their shoulders pressed together. "You two are trying out for the kendo team this year?"

He couldn't help the snicker that filled his mouth. "Nah, just the bastard. I promised to go to each and every one of his matches if he joined the team!"

Something flashed across Sakura's face; it was so fast that Naruto was sure he had just imagined it. "Really?" she said with an excited smile. "That's great, Sasuke-kun! We'd love to watch you tryout."

Ino and Sakura linked arms, as if to indicate that they were the 'we' she had mentioned. Neither boy needed the confirmation, everyone knew the two girls were joined at the hip and went everywhere together.

"Yeah, that'd be awesome! You'll have your own cheer squad, Sasuke!" Naruto elbowed Sasuke in the shoulder suggestively.

Sasuke scoffed. "I don't need a bunch of loud mouths distracting me."

"What's with that attitude?" Naruto pouted, along with Ino and Sakura.

"Yeah, we only want to wish you best," Ino shrugged her shoulders, her tone more questioning than factual. Clearly she could think of better things to be doing than bothering Sasuke. Those thoughts probably went along the lines of bothering Shikamaru instead.

Naruto flapped his hand back and forth in a flurry of motion, pretending he was erasing the girls' presences. "Come on, you can't sit in your desk for the rest of the evening. I already told Tenten you were trying out. Believe me, she can't wait to see what you can do."

Sasuke almost appeared dismayed by the thought of having to face the kendo team captain. He was unceremoniously dragged out of his seat and to the school's small dōjō, Ino and Sakura at their heels. A second year girl greeted them with a smile, a shy blush directed at Sasuke that in turn made the back of Naruto's neck prickle with heat, and lead Sasuke to the locker room to get him fitted into the proper gear.

Naruto and the girls were sitting on their legs, watching the returning members of the kendo team practice with each other at the booming instructions of Gai sensei, when a masked member walked up to them briskly.

"Hey guys!" They knew who it was before she even removed her headgear, revealing her brown hair in a low bun at the base of her skull rather than her usual up do of two buns. Tenten beamed down at them, resting her _shinai_ on her right shoulder while she gripped her custom-made _men_ in her gloved hand. "Where's Uchiha? I can't wait to wipe the floor with his ass. The dōjō could use a good cleaning."

Someone cleared their throat and the four teens smiled guiltily at said boy. Sasuke adjusted the _dō_ on his chest, then his _tare_ belt with one hand while he kept his headgear and _shinai_ snug between his waist and arm. He almost looked like a completely different person in the kendo uniform, especially with his bangs pushed back and out of sight with a soft looking white towel tied around his head. His visage was more open, allowing more expression, and he was definitely more attractive with his face clear of his hair.

Naruto bit down on the inside of his cheek, his hands coming up to cover his lap incase his inner thoughts were making an outward appearance. Luckily Sasuke seemed unaware of the blue eyes ogling him otherwise he'd never be allowed to live down his attraction to his best friend.

"He looks great, doesn't he?" Sakura asked behind him. The question was directed at him, though Ino answered positively anyway.

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment and nodded, certain that his cheeks were covered in an obvious blush. He licked his lips and glanced up at Sasuke as the teen put the _men_ on his head. He was almost unrecognizable, but Naruto knew just who he was and it made his heart thrum with excitement. He couldn't wait to see Sasuke in action.

Tenten started calling out the basics to kendo as the two third years walked into an open space on the floor. "Kendo is a way to discipline the human character through application of the principle of the katana."

Sasuke raised the _shinai_ in front of him as she spoke. He twirled it in his hand (a difficult feat with the _kote_ he was wearing on his hands, Naruto was sure) until he was gripping the handle on the opposite side, the length of the wooden sword pointing towards Naruto and the two girls. He quickly corrected his hold on it, gripping it with both hands and sliding his feet into the proper stance Tenten was demonstrating across the way.

Naruto swallowed. Sasuke _did_ look really good, but it was more than that. He looked natural; he was ordained to take up a fighting stance, to hold a sword. Even with the headgear obscuring his visage it was obvious that Sasuke was concentrated on that very moment. The air around him was practically crackling with electricity. The younger classmen in the club stopped their practice to watch their captain and the new recruit. Naruto leaned forward in anticipation.

In a split second Tenten lifted her _shinai_ over her shoulder before striking at the left of Sasuke's _men_ with a deep cry, even for a girl. Sasuke took a step back to avoid being hit, but the girl was on him in an instant. She hit the right side of his faceguard despite his attempt to block it with his own _shinai_.

"You have a weak _kisei_!" Tenten yelled, and she quickly demonstrated what was called the _tobikomi-waza_ technique on Sasuke. He backed away again immediately, and a low cuss left his mouth.

Sasuke pivoted on his left foot, driving the _shinai_ at Tenten with the force of his right arm. She knocked him back immediately.

"You have excellent control of the katana, but you can't rely solely on avoid-then-strike tactics!" Tenten and Sasuke's _shinai_ clashed and they came to a stalemate. She forced him back and seemed as though she would topple after him, but she caught herself at the last second.

Naruto mildly wondered what it would be like on the floor with Sasuke; _against_ Sasuke. They had gotten into fist fights before, and wrestled around a bit. But to go up against him with a weapon, another sword…something like déjà vu fell over him in waves. It left him practically vibrating with energy in his seat on the floor of the dōjō. He wanted to be up there, and he wanted to be facing off with Sasuke. He knew he could take him on. He was possibly the only one who could fight Sasuke to the point of exhaustion. He'd be collapsing right next to the bastard because they'd be perfectly matched.

He cussed when he realized he was missing the action in front of him, and he caught the last minute of Sasuke striking Tenten on the right side of her protective gear covering her ribs just as she was coming at him.

"That's a point, right?" Ino asked Sakura behind him.

"I think so…"

Tenten lowered her _shinai_ and retreated a few steps. She removed her _men_ to reveal her shocked gaze fixated on Sasuke. The shock melted away into a bright, excited grin. "That was awesome, Uchiha! What a perfect execution of _debana-waza_ technique! It's about time we got someone like you on the team!"

A few disgruntled whines from the other members earned them a sharp snap from their captain and they quickly returned to their earlier practice. Tenten quickly engaged Sasuke into another practice battle, which Naruto was all too eager to watch.

Or he would have if it wasn't for the delicate tap on his bicep that pulled him away from the action. He stared into soft green eyes, and he could immediately remember why he had had such an enormous crush on Sakura as a kid. Of course those feelings had dwindled into nothing but friendship, maybe even brotherly, after the thirty or so rejections (and not to forget the current relationship he was experiencing with Sasuke).

Seeing that she had his full attention, Sakura spoke no louder than a whisper, "Will you walk me home?" Her breath smelled like a mint candy.

"Sure thing!" Naruto beamed at her. He watched her stand and got to his feet quickly as well, standing awkwardly. "Oh, now?" He was reluctant to leave while Sasuke was still on the floor.

"If that's not a problem,"

"Well, Sasuke's trying out now…" Naruto looked behind him to see that he and Tenten were engrossed in their battle, though Tenten was definitely on the winning side.

Sakura adjusted the twisted shoulder straps of her backpack and shrugged. "You heard Tenten. He's already made the team. I need to get home before five."

Naruto went to his wrist immediately to check his watch, but then remembered that he never wore one. Sakura was already leaving the school's dōjō, an unaware Ino watching the students in the zone. Naruto hastily threw his orange and black backpack over his shoulder and trucked after the pink-haired girl. He didn't look back, completely missing the black, somber glance thrown their way.

The walk to Sakura's house was quiet, the only sound coming from their footsteps and other residents of Konoha greeting them or driving by in their cars. They were in the middle of crossing a crosswalk when Naruto finally took notice to their surroundings. They had passed the street to get to Sakura's house four blocks ago. He looked to Sakura in confusion. The girl was walking with great determination; she obviously knew where they were going and it _wasn't_ her house.

"Sakura-chan?"

"I know we've passed my house, Naruto," she said quickly, proving his suspicions correct. "We're making a stop somewhere else first."

"Oh," Naruto had wished she had said so before. He had been planning to drop her off at her house and running back to the school to walk home with Sasuke. "Where are we going?"

"There," Sakura lifted her pointed finger to the line of faces on Hokage Mountain that towered over Konoha.

Naruto frowned. It took a while for him to be able to pull his attention away from the rocky wall and avert it back to Sakura. "Why there?"

"Because I want to."

Naruto rolled his eyes. Girls were so weird. One minute they wanted to be watching a classmate tryout for the kendo team, the next they wanted to climb a mountain. Total wack jobs if you asked him. If he knew anything about Sakura, though, it was that he shouldn't question her and just go with the flow; that was the best way to avoid major injury.

They reached the stairs that lead to the top of the mountain, and only made it half way up the second set before he had to stop and remove his blazer. "I wish we would switch to our summer uniform already…" he whined, rolling up the blazer and shoving it unceremoniously inside his backpack. He waited while Sakura did the same, only with more delicate precision.

"You know we don't switch till June."

"Can it be June now?"

"Stop being an idiot." They continued walking. They were making way on the third and last set of stairs in the zigzag along the mountain side when Sakura spoke again. "Do you know about the rumor for these mountains?"

Naruto immediately recalled Ino telling him about it. "Yeah, that silly one about shouting your crush's name from the top or something."

"Some people don't think it's silly. To them it is hope," Sakura clipped, stunning Naruto into silence. "To someone like me, it's the only chance I have when the guy I've been in love with since I was a kid is dating a total moron."

Suddenly Naruto didn't like where this was going. They reached the top and even though every nerve in his body screamed for him to stop where he was, he continued to follow her to what he supposed was the designated spot from the rumor. He cleared his throat, ready to say something, _anything_, but found that he just couldn't. He wanted to run from here, to leave Sakura behind. He didn't want to hear what she had to say. Judgment, anger, maybe even hatred. Naruto was afraid – no, he was _terrified _of what Sakura was going to do or say next.

The wind was much stronger up on the mountain, and it whipped their hair around wildly. Usually Sakura would complain about her hair getting everywhere, but not this time around. She didn't even try to shield with her hands. Sakura's eyes remained stubbornly ahead of her, watching over the town below that they had both lived in all their lives.

A town that had seemed so empty when Sasuke first left, whenever Sakura rejected him, when Jiraiya went out of town, or when his friends and their families went on vacations.

"I overheard you talking on the phone at McDonalds…I heard you say that thing about Sasuke finally having your virginity."

Naruto's face went red immediately. "Wait, Sakura-chan, it's not what you think! We were joking and-"

"Don't lie to me about something like that, Naruto!" She smacked him on the shoulder, hard enough to leave a bruise. "If you're lying about it, then that means you regret it. Do you regret being with Sasuke?"

Naruto shook his head after a moment. To say he was confused right now would be an understatement. Where was Sakura going with this? Why did she bring him up here? "No, I don't. Sasuke is…he's the only guy I could ever trust to be with like that."

"Do you love him?"

Naruto's face felt like it was going to melt off at any point. He put a foot or two between him and Sakura, lifting his hands up as though to protect himself from her. "Wait a minute…what does that have to do with anything?" Love was such a strange word when he applied it to him and Sasuke. Sure, they had sex, and sure they've kissed and said a few things here and there. And yes, he loved the things Sasuke did, and there were things he hated, too. There was so much he still didn't know about Sasuke, so many questions he wanted to ask. One could say Naruto was almost insecure about admitting his love for Sasuke. They were there; those feelings had always been there even if they hadn't always been of the romantic sort. Yet they had turned romantic, like the sky changing colors when the sun set, and it was inevitable and beautiful and full of wonderment. He could burst with these new feelings and still feel whole.

"If you really love him, you should yell it out to Konoha. I'll do it with you because I truly love Sasuke." Sakura slapped a hand to her chest to emphasize her participation. "But I swear Naruto, if you don't love Sasuke then I don't want you to make a peep."

Naruto's eyes widened a fraction and he closed the space between them. "How could you say that? Of course I love Sasuke! I love every part of him! I love that he still treats me like an idiot even though we're dating now, and I love that he's always thinking about me. I love the way he kisses me and I love that he won't let me copy his homework no matter how much I beg him. I love him. I love him!"

Sakura didn't say anything at all. If she was surprised by anything Naruto had confessed, she didn't show it. She simply grabbed Naruto by the shoulders and forced him to face Konoha, pushing him as close to the edge as the railing would allow. Taking his left hand in her right, she gripped the railing with her free hand and leaned forward.

Naruto mimicked her stance and together they inhaled deeply.

"SASUKE UCHIHA! I LOVE YOU!"

Their voices rang throughout the town. Naruto could see people leaving the high school from where they stood, and he wondered if they could be heard all the way down there. It was more humoring than disconcerting, and air filled his cheeks before being expelled in high-pitched fits of laughter.

Sakura joined him, and together they stepped from the railing to laugh, still holding hands. She took in a shuddering breath before suddenly dropping to her knees, yanking down on Naruto's arm in the process. All merriment dissolved as he gazed upon her curled form.

"Sakura-chan?"

"I knew he didn't love me back…and I knew he never would no matter how hard I tried. When I as little I was forward about my feelings, and I thought that was my mistake. So when he came back I tried to be subtle, to give him a chance to see how mature I was, but…he was always looking at you. I just wanted him so much. But if he's with you, Naruto…that's not so bad. I can accept that because I think I always knew it was you, even when we were kids. Ugh, look at me crying like some stupid girl." She wiped at her eyes. Naruto couldn't help but think that Sakura was kind of an ugly crier.

Then what she said hit him. "Huh?"

Sakura looked at him as she stood and wiped at the remaining tears that threatened to spill, knowing exactly what he was confused about. "Don't tell me you never noticed that Sasuke only wanted to hang out with you."

He didn't tell her.

She rolled her eyes. "You really are a big idiot. My mom used to always say, 'That Uchiha kid could lose everything he owns now, but as long as he has his big brother and Naruto he'll still be happy.' See, even the adults saw how much Sasuke loved you. It might not have always been romantic, but he loves you so much Naruto. Heck, neither of you would have been able to date other people and be completely happy."

Naruto frowned at this. He wasn't so sure of that. He had been perfectly capable of liking Sakura without thoughts of Sasuke getting in the way. Then again, he had had a plan where he would divide his time between Sakura and hanging out with Sasuke for when he and Sakura got married (in his delusional head, of course). "You're wrong. Sasuke and I-"

"I don't know what it was, but something pushed you and Sasuke to this point, right? You two had basically been on the edge, and needed one little shove. What was it?" Sakura looked at him with genuine inquisitiveness.

Naruto had to watch her for a minute, gaging whether or not she would laugh at him. Sakura could be a little on the judgmental side when it came to these things, she and Ino constantly gossiping about girls in their class hooking up with other boys. He could sense nothing but mellowness and understanding rolling off of her. It made him feel safe, enveloping him in a sense of security. So he entrusted her with his and Sasuke's history. "It was more than one thing. It took different things for each of us. Sasuke was the first one to…understand his feelings, I guess."

"I figured," Sakura commented curtly.

Naruto frowned at her, but continued nonetheless. "With Sasuke, it started with the kiss on the dock when we were twelve. At least that's what he had said."

Sakura looked shocked, and Naruto assumed it was because she hadn't figured it went that far back. "That long ago?"

Her question proved his theory correct, and he nodded. "As for me, well…it was much more recent." He blushed as he remembered the night Sasuke and his gang had barged into his apartment. He decided to leave that bit out for obvious reasons. "I think it was when he confessed his feelings to me on the night of the group date."

"Huh?" Sakura balked. "The barbeque one all the way back in April?"

Naruto nodded, cringing at Sakura's shock.

"Where was I when this happened?"

"You guys were walking right in front of us."

"Ohmigod…he just came right out and said it?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head. He probably shouldn't have been telling Sakura all of this, and her reactions made it a bit awkward, but it was still a relief to confide in somebody about this. Throughout the entire process of falling into a relationship with Sasuke, he had been alone through it. Of course that was partly because he didn't want anyone to know if it turned out to be something unofficial, but after Boys' Day it seemed appropriate. He needed someone apart from Sasuke to talk to about this kind of thing and Sakura was the best person for that. "Well, basically. He just asked me if I would kiss him back and…well…I didn't reject him."

Sakura frowned at this. "That Sasuke…he can't just come out and tell people what he's really feeling. Not even you, huh?"

He wasn't sure why, but he _did not_ like that she was insinuating that Sasuke couldn't be forward with him. He's been plenty kinds of forward in the bedroom- ah, she was right. When it came to feelings, Naruto had to prod to get any semblance of a straight answer. Well, Sasuke just wasn't that kind of guy. He didn't just open up to people, probably because he was afraid of rejection. Naruto didn't have a problem with it as long as Sasuke was able to tell him about most things (_most_ things being _everything_). He hoped.

"He opens up enough," Naruto smiled. "I don't need him to, and he himself doesn't need to. He's happy, I'm sure. And if he isn't then I'll make sure he's always happy."

"Promise?" Sakura said earnestly.

Naruto hadn't been expecting to make a promise with her for Sasuke's happiness, but he was nonetheless eager to make it. "Definitely. Or how about…" He returned to the railing, bracing it in tight hands, and leaned forward so that his thighs pressed into the metal. "SASUKE UCHIHA I AM GOING TO MAKE YOU THE HAPPIEST MAN ALIVE! Ah, no, or should I say something like…EVEN AFTER DEATH!"

Sakura burst into a fit of giggles. "It sounds like you're proposing to Sasuke!"

Heat swirled within Naruto's cheeks and he let out a bashful chuckle. Yeah, he supposed it really did sound like a proposal. He just hoped he didn't get too much attention because of this at school the next day.

* * *

><p>"You heard them right?"<p>

"Yeah, it was two of them. How weird is that?"

"Shh, there's Uchiha."

Sasuke pretended not to hear the whispering in the hallway, just as he did with the shouts that resounded over Konoha yesterday evening. He ignored the watchful eyes that followed him as he made his way to the classroom, knowing that they were looking for some kind of reaction to yesterday. They weren't going to get one.

He opened the door to the classroom and the chattering he had been hearing from the other side dwindled into silence. He headed for his desk, only focused his gaze on those who were necessary.

The culprits.

First they landed on shy, smiling green eyes. He glared threateningly till Sakura's smile disappeared. Good riddance. Last, he aimed his glare at the blond head of hair in the desk behind his. Naruto was occupying himself with the clouds outside the window, a smart avoidance maneuver but also a dead giveaway of his involvement in the act that was today's raging topic.

Sasuke debated smacking him over the head, but he didn't want to instigate anything or inadvertently reveal the nature of his and Naruto's relationship. He already suspected that a certain _someone_ knew everything now, and what was to stop her from passing it on to the blonde gossip queen that insisted on remaining by her side constantly?

He begrudgingly took a seat in his desk, kicking his backpack underneath and out of the way of his feet. He was sure that Naruto would just _love_ for him to let this slide, but Sasuke wasn't going to let him off that easily. It wasn't that he was angry, though it wasn't far from that. He couldn't explain exactly how he felt about the whole situation. When he heard his name in the middle of that messy love confession coming from the mountain, he hadn't smiled. He couldn't, he was walking alongside Tenten and a couple of other members of the kendo team. But that didn't stop the blush from coloring his cheeks, dangerously close to revealing the flips his stomach was doing and the abrupt thudding of his heart as though he had just run a triathlon. If he had known he'd react like _that_ to Naruto saying that he loved him…maybe he wouldn't have come out and lead the idiot to bed (that was a lie, of course).

He had to immediately excuse himself from the other team members and hurry home. Never before had he been so humiliated in his life! So humiliated and yet so…happy? He knew Naruto's voice anywhere, there was no mistaking it was that idiot and Sakura. It had to be those two, they left together after all. The fact that Sakura was mixed in there left him a bit on the tense side; beggars couldn't be choosers but he would have preferred just Naruto.

The last bit that Naruto yelled really did embarrass him. Make him the happiest man alive, even after death? What kind of moron actually said something like that, let alone shout it for the whole town to hear? Clearly the one sitting right behind him, pretending to have an intense interest in the clouds in order to avoid any kind of confrontation.

What had started that? What made him burst out like that? Why had he said all those things? What had he said to Sakura?

So many questions warped his mind into anxiousness. He wanted to know. He wanted to know every detail of what happened after those two left the dōjō together. They had something now…they shared a moment. Sasuke wasn't sure why he didn't like that, but he couldn't keep his hands from curling into tights fists beneath his desk. He couldn't believe he was being resentful over the fact that Sakura had been with Naruto as he confessed his feelings for Sasuke. It should have been him up there, not her. Damn it, why was he reacting so childishly?

Nonetheless, they should have known better than to go up there and say all that in the first place. Sasuke knew it couldn't have been Naruto's idea, which made the confession all the more annoying. Would Naruto have said all that if he hadn't been prompted to do so?

All sorts of emotions whirled around inside him, leaving him confused and distant for the rest of the day. At lunch he hid himself away in the backroom of the school library, having access to it due to being on the committee. He was grateful for the privacy and silence away from the circulating gossip that centered around him and the two mystery voices.

While the solitude was nice, it still left him muddled about how he should feel about the whole situation. He tried to take his mind off everything, applying himself to the numbing activity of organizing late fee slips and check-out cards, but it only distracted him for ten minutes before he began obsessing some more. By the end of lunch, he decided that Sakura was no longer important in this scenario. The only one who mattered, the only one who ever mattered, was Naruto.

He found himself sitting back down in his desk, vaguely aware that he had walked back completely on autopilot. Naruto came in a few minutes later, walking ahead of Kiba, Shikamaru, Sakura, and Ino. Sasuke studied them discreetly, but none of them seemed to be concerned with the gossip. They didn't even make any indication as to knowing it was Naruto and Sakura, otherwise one of them would have most likely looked his way by now. Not even Ino gave him a cautious, meaningful glance.

So Naruto and Sakura weren't blabbing to everyone. That was a good thing, and a load off his back. Now he only had to untangle his own chaotic thoughts and emotions. He'd rather just be swallowed up and not give a single care like he did with most things; however, he couldn't let this go.

One part of him mulled excitedly that Naruto admitted to loving him, chanting it like a mantra. It annoyed him how love struck he became when Naruto returned his feelings in one way or another, verbal or physical. Just being allowed to be inside the idiot was enough to send him to an early grave. How had he ever been okay with remaining at Naruto's side as a platonic friend?

Sasuke didn't think he'd be completely satisfied any time soon, if at all. With that in mind, he should be thrilled that Naruto loved him back (so much that he had no reservations about shouting it for all to hear). He simply couldn't accept it, though. If Naruto had said it to his face, Sasuke was certain he'd still be having a hard time figuring out how to react.

Thankfully Naruto didn't seem to be waiting for some kind of response from him, as the other teen returned to his desk without so much as a hopeful look when he walked by. He exuded an air of utter calm, probably thinking he was in the clear since Sasuke hadn't approached him yet. Or he felt absolutely no guilt about turning Sasuke brain into an overthinking disaster zone.

Sasuke wasn't sure what he was going to say to Naruto, but he wasn't going to pummel him black a blue or embrace him romantically. Could he really just leave things as they were, though?

Before he could come to any final decision, the dismissal bell was ringing through the school and the teacher quickly listed off their homework that was due next class. Sasuke hadn't paid attention to any of the lessons all day. He couldn't help brooding obsessively. Naruto stuck him like a knife and twisted inside the wound with everything he said and did that threw Sasuke into overdrive.

A hand touched his shoulder and Sasuke turned in his seat slowly, meeting endless blue eyes. He loved Naruto's eyes; he wondered if Naruto ever closed his eyes and saw Sasuke's staring right back at him as Sasuke did his. Why did he even care about something like that? He wasn't some pathetic girl with a crush.

"You look tired." Naruto said, concerned.

He was exhausted. "I'm fine."

Naruto waited for Sasuke to gather his things, neatly placing them in his backpack and standing. "Want to walk home together?"

Sasuke considered this carefully. It was Wednesday, so he had to go straight home. He groaned inwardly, realizing that Wednesdays were the only day he could freely leave school without any obligations. Mondays and Thursdays had him working in the library, and Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays were reserved for kendo practice. He let out a hot breath and nodded his head in answer to Naruto.

Naruto bid his other friends goodbye as they exited the classroom together.

Thankfully they were able to leave the school without overhearing anyone talking about the stupid rumor. Yes, stupid. Sasuke was done with worrying over yesterday's incident. Being in Naruto's presence calmed him considerably, an exceptional characteristic the other boy possessed that Sasuke had been grateful for since they were kids. Like being put under a spell, his mind could rest easy without him having to forcefully shut it down. It was this state of tranquility that allowed Sasuke to smoothly convey his thoughts.

"Don't do that anymore."

"Do what?"

"What you did on Hokage Mountain yesterday." Sasuke's dark gaze shifted to Naruto on his left, daring the other to oppose him. Of course Naruto took it as an invitation to argue.

"Why don't you like it when I'm being forward?"

Sasuke swallowed. The need to take Naruto and forcefully make him understand his irrational need to maintain control rushed forward, and his hands twitched with readiness. He quickly shoved them in his pockets. He couldn't deal with Naruto the way he had learned to deal with things back in Otogakure. "It's a simple request, idiot. Just don't it again."

Naruto was getting mad if his furrowed eyebrows and defensive posture was any indication. It was too early to tell if they would break out into a fist fight. "I meant what I said!"

Inhaling deeply, Sasuke looked Naruto in the eyes, hoping to transfer his thoughts without being forced to say them aloud. _I know you meant it. I'm happy that you do. Your forceful approach to our newly developed relationship is embarrassing and hard to swallow. I'm not used to this; this is more than I had ever dreamed about. Please understand that I'm not turning you down or not taking this seriously. I need time to process this, so please be patient with me. You mean so much to me._

Naruto's lips parted and Sasuke knew that he understood. As much of a total idiot as Naruto was, he was pretty well-versed in reading people. They fell into stride together, a comfortable silence leaving them both feeling lighter on their feet. There was just one thing Sasuke had to get out in the open, to both clear his conscience and leave no doubt between them.

He turned to Naruto and said, "The first night I was back in Konoha…"

As predicted, Naruto was perplexed by the sudden topic. It was probably something he didn't really want to think about.

"That time, in your apartment, I told you that I hated you. I didn't mean that. I've never hated you."

Naruto gave an unexpected snort, and he smiled at Sasuke. "Same here. I just said it back because you did. You were always my best friend, Sasuke. You still are."

"Moron."

"What?"

Sasuke sighed. "After everything, you're still calling me your best friend."

"Well I made it pretty obvious on the mountain that I think of you as more than a friend." He snickered to himself like he had heard a funny joke.

Sasuke didn't laugh with him, and stared straight ahead again. They were nearing the point where they'd have to go separate ways to get home. Naruto must have noticed, too, because he stopped at the street corner and looked at Sasuke with coy curiosity.

"Want to come back to my place?"

The temptation was a physical ache. He almost wanted to curse his other responsibilities, feeling even the common, daily needs such as eating and using the restroom to be burdensome. If he had it his way, he'd spend days on end with Naruto in his bed. They didn't even have to have sex; he would appreciate the constant closeness. "I have to go straight home today."

It pleased him to see the disappointment on Naruto's face. He scanned their surroundings quickly before stealing a single kiss and turning left down the adjoining street. Naruto had to keep walking straight to his apartment building.

If it had been any other Wednesday, he'd have taken Naruto up on his offer. He'd much prefer his company over what he was about to go home to. He truly despised the second Wednesday of every month. Not like he could blow it off. If he had a new assignment, he'd be finding out about it today. Things had been slow since his last successful mission, which he had received back when he was thirteen.

* * *

><p><em>The door to the sitting room was ajar, so why should he have thought twice about listening in on the conversation his brother was having with two men sitting opposite of him on the couch. He was only curious after seeing two extra pairs of shoes by the door. The men on the couch were bizarre, and they were dressed too casually to be coworkers that Itachi had brought home. His brother was still dressed in a button-up shirt and tie from what Sasuke could see.<em>

_One of the men had long blond hair, a handful of strands pulled into a high ponytail at the crown of his head. His one eye that wasn't hidden by his hair was blue, but it wasn't as captivating as Naruto's. Ah, there he went again thinking about his childhood friend in a less than friendly manner. He supposed it was a good thing that he was far away from Konoha, otherwise he'd have a hard time facing the idiot everyday with the dreams he was having. He rid himself of those thoughts and returned his attention to the other man sitting beside the blond._

_There were no distinct facial features as his entire face was covered with a weird, orange mask. There was only one eyehole, for the right eye, which made Sasuke wonder vaguely if these men were trying to set some trend. It was a stupid one if you asked him._

"…_killed your parents." The man with the mask was saying to his brother, snaring Sasuke's attention and holding him in his spot in front of the cracked door._

_Why were they talking about their parents? Itachi was very reserved about the topic, rarely ever bringing it up with Sasuke. Not that Sasuke wanted to hear about them very often._

"_But first we want to know where you are with Orochimaru." the blond man said, sitting with perfect posture and arms folded over his chest. His stare was critical, complementing to the gravity of his statement._

_Itachi emitted a deep sigh, and Sasuke wanted to know immediately what they were talking about. His brother had always been open with him about many things, but he never once mentioned anyone by the name Orochimaru. It was unusual for Itachi to keep something from him, if not completely unheard of._

"_I've tried to get in, but he doesn't trust me. I think seeking him out had been a bad plan." Itachi explained, though his tone didn't sound remorseful. Just tired, and maybe a bit rehearsed. He spoke like that when he had thought things through thoroughly, including the day he broke the news to Sasuke that they would be leaving their home in Konoha._

_The blond-haired man narrowed his right eye at Itachi. "Well waiting around for him to notice you wouldn't have worked. Hate to say it, but you're too old for his tastes."_

_Sasuke pondered what he meant by that; Itachi wasn't too old, he was only nineteen. Realization hit him like a slap to the face, and he suddenly felt sick to his stomach. Was Itachi trying to get the attentions of some creepy pedophile?_

"_That is true," the man with the orange mask said. It took a few seconds, but Sasuke became aware that the masked man was staring right at him. "Maybe he can help us?" He pointed innocently at the door._

_Sasuke kept himself from recoiling when the blond-haired man and his brother suddenly turned to the door. Itachi shot out of his seat and he quickly crossed the space to the door, swinging it open to fully reveal Sasuke standing there in his black gakuran uniform. _

"_Sasuke, go upstairs and do your homework." Itachi ordered, his jaw set sternly. He reminded Sasuke of their father for a moment. He already had large bags under his eyes like their father, though it did nothing to take away from his initial beauty that both sons had been lucky enough to inherit from their mother._

"_Hold on a minute, Itachi." The masked man stood and was walking up behind the older Uchiha. "We could use him. He's young, quite the looker. Orochimaru will snatch him right up."_

_Sasuke was ready to downright refuse, not appreciating that he was being sized up as some creep's type. Itachi spoke up first._

"_Absolutely not. He's not to be involved in any of this."_

"_If you don't complete this mission with Orochimaru then we're going to withhold the information on your parents' deaths, un." The blond man sounded bored despite the severity of his statement._

_Itachi looked at the man sharply. His usually calm, indulgent eyes were dilated beneath his furrowing brows. That should have tipped off the younger Uchiha right there, but he wasn't paying any attention to his brother. If Sasuke had known any better back then, he would have realized he was being lead on. Instead, he fell right into their hands._

"_You know who killed our mom and dad?" Sasuke asked in earnestness, eyes shifting between the two strange men with suspicion. They both stared back at him with their only visible eyes. Irritated, Sasuke turned his glare on Itachi. He was being so passive all of a sudden. _'Say something,'_ Sasuke wanted to scream at him. _'Give me answers! Tell them to leave!'

_Seemingly bored of the staring game, the man with thick blond hair huffed in annoyance. "How am I supposed to kill the bastard if you're incapable of getting anywhere close to him, un?" He patronized Itachi as though he was a child. He placed a hand with black painted fingernails on his narrow hip while he pointed accusingly at Itachi with his other. "All you had to do was get him alone so I can blow him up. You said you could get him for us. That makes you inferior _and_ a liar, un."_

"_Shut up!" Sasuke shouted before he could stop himself. His nostrils were flaring; when had he started breathing so heavily? Watching this man pose there and downsize his big brother, his only family and his idol, right to Itachi's face infuriated Sasuke beyond any level he'd ever felt before. They never had to deal with this sort of treatment back in Konoha. People in Otogakure were offensive and inconsiderate. Why did Itachi allow these men in their house? That didn't matter, because Sasuke was going to make them leave at that very moment. Or he would have, if the taller man hadn't interjected first._

"_Ah, Sempai!" the masked man whimpered, waving his hands around animatedly like an idiot to get the other man's attention. "Be nice to Itachi. He did his best. We know it's not his fault that Orochimaru didn't rise to the bait." He clasped his hands behind his back to indicate that he was done defending Itachi._

_Sasuke would have pegged the taller man to be the one in charge, but his submissive attitude was easy to trample over with a stern figure like the man with the blond hair. He didn't like either of them, but he found the stranger with the weird mask was far more tolerable. He studied the eyehole of the orange mask, trying to see the eye within it, but it was veiled in the shadow of the cover._

_Itachi let out a shuddering sigh. He had obviously been thinking hard in his silence. "I don't need your information. I hereby resign from the organization."_

_The shorter of the two men sneered at him. "Do you doubt the authenticity of our information?"_

"_No," Itachi shook his head. His eyes slid shut and Sasuke could see just how truly exhausted his brother was. "I no longer desire it. If it means getting my little brother involved, then I'd rather remain ignorant."_

"_Ignorant my ass," the blond-haired man snapped. "You think you can just drop out of the Akatsuki like that? You should know better, Itachi. The whole reason you were assigned to take out Orochimaru was because he left the organization, too."_

"_You said it was because of his chokehold on this town." Itachi's words were slow, anger bubbling below the surface._

_The tall man stepped in quickly. "We didn't lie, we swear! Orochimaru is a tyrant that must be dealt with." His irritatingly bubbly tone dropped, and he suddenly spoke with solemnity. "However, he was a part of the Akatsuki at one point. He randomly dropped out some time ago and went off the radar. We found him later, but he was already monopolizing this town with blackmail and brute force."_

_Sasuke's lips parted, any urgency he felt in removing these men from his home now replaced with intrigue. He wasn't completely up to date on the situation, but it sounded as though this Orochimaru person was some kind of boss of this town's yakuza. It was inappropriate, but Sasuke couldn't help feeling admiration towards his brother. He was attempting to bring down a bad guy and save the city like a hero from manga. He wanted to help in any way he could! Especially if doing so would bring to light more info on their parents' mysterious and untimely death._

"_That doesn't matter-" Itachi began._

"_What can I do to help?" Sasuke blurted out suddenly. He cussed inwardly for sounding so eager. All eyes zeroed in on him and he wondered if he had said something wrong._

_Itachi blinked away his stunned expression, replacing it with a strict one. "Sasuke, you are not part of this. Leave us alone to talk."_

_Sasuke masked the hurt he felt at his brother shunning him. He thought that he was doing the right thing by offering to aid them. The taller man had said that Sasuke was perfect for the job, hadn't he? Why was Itachi refusing him?_

_The masked man's voice reverted back to its goofy pitch. "But if Uchibi-kun can capture Orochimaru's attention, our plan can get rolling and then you can find out about your parents' murder! Everybody's happy!"_

"_He's right, un." The blond-haired man grunted._

_Itachi turned his glare on the tall man. "No-"_

"_Itachi, let me do it." Sasuke almost pleaded, but he did not beg under any circumstances. Such measures to attain what he wanted were beneath him. "I know I can do it."_

"_Sasuke, you have no idea what you're getting yourself into." Itachi snapped. "Orochimaru is a dangerous man. People in this town are terrified of him. Not to mention his tastes are less than admirable. I won't let you be exposed to him."_

"_You don't know what will happen," Sasuke argued, his cheeks heating from how childish he felt for arguing with his brother like this. "I can handle myself!"_

_Itachi exhaled in his aggravation. "No, you can't. I will not continue having this conversation with you. Go to your room." He pointed a finger at the stairs on his right._

_Sasuke scoffed. "That's immature, ending the conversation when you want to. We have the chance to learn more about mom and dad than the cops told us. Why won't you let me do this? Do you hate mom and dad or something?"_

_His only response was a singular slap to his left cheek that made his ears ring. He had felt his neck pop at the impact, and he was sure that the other three men had heard it. It took several seconds for feeling to return to his face, and he raised a trembling hand to touch the burning skin. Tears pricked his eyes, but he refused to shed them as he glared at the floor._

_He was shocked. He was dejected. He was angry as hell, and he was embarrassed beyond words. Itachi had struck him. His big brother had actually hit him on the face, and in front of these two strange men, too! Who was this man posing as his brother? This was not the Itachi who had raised him with unadulterated love and compassion since their parents' deaths in their house in Konoha. That Itachi had never – would never – laid a hand on Sasuke in aggression or discipline. Where was the brother that believed words were far more powerful than a pair of fists? Sasuke wanted the old Itachi back; the one who didn't keep secrets from him, and didn't come home late, and didn't tell Sasuke that he wasn't capable of achieving something._

_This Itachi…the one standing before Sasuke with a detached gaze…he…_

"…_hate you…"_

_Black orbs that matched Sasuke's widened, indicating that he heard the whispered words clearly. Itachi's hand automatically rose between them to soothe his younger brother like he usually did when Sasuke was upset, but it was smacked away and he couldn't resist flinching as though he had been scalded._

"_I hate you, Itachi!" Sasuke's shout kept Itachi rooted in place while the thirteen-year-old ran to the door and slid on his shoes. He didn't bother tying them before running out of the front door._

_He ran down the street as fast as his legs could carry him. His vision began to blur, and he was grateful for the tears as they shielded him from the curious glances he received from the people he passed. Those lucky people who were going home to a normal family where everything was just fine, and they ate dinner with each other every night while sitting in front of the TV to watch some mindless program. Meanwhile, Sasuke's world went straight to hell as his life in Konoha became an increasingly distant memory and reminder of what had been._

_Damn it! He wished he could see Naruto right now. The moron would reassure him that Itachi was just in a bad mood from stress. That he hadn't meant to hit Sasuke. Those tan arms would hug him, and Sasuke would be assaulted by Naruto's scent…shit, what did he smell like? He had forgotten. Slowly his senses were losing all traces of the person Naruto. Soon he would forget how soft that unkempt blond hair was, or how smooth his skin was. The way those blue eyes sparkled when ramen was set in front of him, or how round cheeks became discolored with an angry blush when Sasuke insulted him. The sound of his annoying voice when it raised an octave to shout at Sasuke for offending him, or when it dropped and became raspy when he was contemplating something serious. Naruto's lips had tasted like…_

_He stopped in his tracks, turning on his feet as he studied his surroundings. He was at the corner of some street lined with a textile shop, a bicycle sales and repair store, and a few bars and restaurants. Across the two-way street in front of him was the sea wall that was Otogakure's northern border. He looked both ways before crossing the street to the sidewalk on the other side. He followed the railing mindlessly, keeping his eyes on the water that only appeared calm. He knew that the currents were so strong they could pull the most experienced and strongest swimmers under with little effort._

_He finally stopped next to a street lamp that interrupted the railing briefly and leaned against the metal bar. It came up a couple of inches above his elbows, so he was easily able to fold his arms and rest his chin on them._

_Amazing…even miles away from Naruto, and the idiot somehow managed to take his mind off the things that bothered him. But now he was thinking about Itachi again, and his mood dropped even lower._

_How could he have told his own brother that he hated him? Itachi was his flesh and blood, and Sasuke had said something worse than a thousand slaps to the face. He had just been so…angry. What was worse, he had accused Itachi of hating their parents; he of all people knew that was far from the truth. They were a solid, loving family. Itachi had been aspiring to follow their father's footsteps in law enforcement, and Sasuke wasn't far behind him. To even suggest that his brother felt anything less than love was an insult._

_Sasuke wished he could take it all back. He wanted to go back in time and stop the words from leaving his lips, the thought from crossing his mind. Tears that had vanished with thoughts of Naruto came back with a vengeance. Sasuke wasn't allowed the chance to force them back, and they spilled over his cheeks and onto the sleeve of his school uniform. He held off on wiping his runny nose on the scratchy fabric as long as he could._

_The street lamp had been on for a whole hour when he finally ran out of tears. His eyes and face felt stiff from crying for so long, and the sleeve of his school uniform was slimy and crusty with mucus. He wasn't sure what time it was, but he knew he had to get home soon. He could get in trouble for being out late in his uniform, not to mention he didn't want Itachi to worry about him._

_He knew he had to apologize, but how to do it left him torn. He messed up big time and still had no clue how to make up for it. He just wanted his old life back._

_Naruto and the others were in the junior high school back in Konoha, now. He wondered what the blond boy looked like in his uniform. He knew Konoha's junior high boy uniform was similar to his own gakuran uniform, but it was also a public school so it had plain bronze buttons while the private school he went to in Otogakure had its school emblem on each gold-painted button. They were expensive to replace, but already Sasuke's top button was loose from his constant fiddling with it during boring classes._

_It was mundane thoughts such as these that put Sasuke at ease whenever he had pressing matters on his mind. Unfortunately, he wasn't allowed the luxury to escape in his head a minute longer. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a tall figure lean on the railing on the other side of the street lamp._

_Sasuke turned his head only a smidgen and caught a glimpse of the orange mask. He looked at the man fully. He realized fleetingly that he still didn't know either of those men's names. "What are you doing here?"_

"_We were all worried about you, of course!" The man held up his hands, fingers positioned in peace signs._

_The bubbly voice irritated Sasuke and he glared out at the dark water._

"_Were you hoping that I was Itachi?" His voice dropped. At least he was speaking like an adult now. "He doesn't know what to say to you. He's really torn up."_

_Sasuke's breath hitched within his throat, eyes narrowing. "I know…I shouldn't have said…"_

"_Oh, he's not upset about that," the man assured him. "He can't believe that he hit you."_

_Sasuke touched his cheek as though he had completely forgotten about the slap. It was sore to the slightest pressure. He didn't care, though. He was no longer mad at Itachi for hitting him. "I should still apologize to him."_

"_Whatever clears your conscience." The tall man shrugged. "You Uchiha brothers are so melodramatic."_

_Fed up, Sasuke glared at the man. This was their fault. He and Itachi never fought like that, if at all. If they hadn't been there, none of this would have happened. "Who are you people?"_

"_Us, meaning me and my partner?" At Sasuke's nod, he continued. "My name is Tobi, and the other man was Deidara. We're members of an organization called Akatsuki."_

_Sasuke filed the names away to memory. "What is Akatsuki, some sort of yakuza?"_

"_Not at all!" Tobi's higher pitched voice came back with vigor. "We fight bad guys and bring them to justice!" He snickered. "Or at least that's a nice way of putting it."_

"_Well what's the other way to put it?"_

"_We kill high class criminals."_

_Sasuke almost choked on his own spit. "Did you just say kill?"_

"_Yes. The people we go after are usually corrupt politicians who bribe and lie their way out of trouble. It's nearly impossible to beat them in court, even with the right evidence, and if they are found guilty they usually get bailed out of jail for one reason or another."_

"_But those people don't deserve to die."_

"_Not even if they have killed others to get what they want?"_

_That was always a rocky topic for Sasuke. Naruto had always believed that people deserved a second chance, and his words were instilled in the Uchiha. Who was he to pass judgment on bad people? They would all get what they deserved in the end, right?_

"_I'm not talking about the accidental murder of one person, Sasuke," Tobi said as though he had been listening in on Sasuke's thoughts. "These bastards have slaughtered many, usually to cover their own tracks. Innocent people that could have brought them to justice. People like your father and mother."_

_Obsidian eyes widened, and he turned his whole body to face Tobi. There was something about this man that rubbed him the wrong way. Tobi somehow knew how to get under his skin and say all the right (or wrong) things to make Sasuke react. It was childish, but Sasuke wanted so badly to rip that mask off his face and fling it out into the water. At least then he wouldn't feel like he was being mocked behind it. He would never do that, of course. He was too mature (and he probably wouldn't be able to reach the tall man's face, even if he jumped). "What do you know about my parents' murder? Tell me everything."_

_He couldn't see it, but Sasuke could hear the smirk in the older man's voice. "I know exactly who sent out the order to have them killed. A man very much like the ones I have been talking about. Your father had been trying to get him in court for years, but the man made sure that didn't happen-"_

"_Just tell me who he is!" Sasuke shouted, not caring if there was anyone around to see or hear them. He was so sick of this man and his partner, and he hadn't even known them for more than a few hours. He just wanted answers so that he could…could…_

"_Why? What will you do once you know who the man is?" Tobi asked, voicing Sasuke's inner hesitance._

"_I'll…" Sasuke fought with his mind for the right words. He'd what? Bring the man to justice? His father already tried that, and look where it got him? Suddenly the goal of the Akatsuki organization was much clearer, much brighter. He could understand it wholly, and knew exactly why Itachi had gotten mixed up with them in the first place. "I'll kill him. I'll avenge my mom and dad."_

"_Good for you. Your brother took a lot more convincing to accept the idea of revenge. He had been so certain that he could win this through hard work and concrete evidence. But how do you accumulate evidence for a plotted murder committed over five years ago? It's not easy playing the good guy, is it?" Tobi's voice was low, yet somehow every word he spoke was distinct even with the mask in place._

"_Tell me who killed my parents."_

"_On one condition. You join Akatsuki and take out Orochimaru."_

_Sasuke remembered Itachi's wish of him not getting involved with Akatsuki, which seemed even more foolish now that he knew the cause behind it all. Still, he had to take a moment to consider one thing. What would Naruto think of him going around and giving criminals their just deserts? Would he be proud of him? If Naruto had the chance to find out where his parents were, would he go looking for them? He knew it wasn't the same thing, but the choice of the matter held equal meaning to each boy. Naruto would go out and find his parents, much as Sasuke would kill the man that took his away from him as a child._

_Something nagged at the back of his mind, but he had to face reality. Naruto wasn't here for him to bring his concerns to. Even if he was still in Konoha, he probably wouldn't have wanted to get the idiot involved. He'd try to stop him anyway, hold him back and bring him down. This was his chance, and no one was going to talk him out of it. He was certain he was making the right decision for himself._

"_Do we have an agreement, Sasuke?" Tobi asked._

"_Yes," Sasuke said flatly. "I'll do whatever you need me to do."_

* * *

><p>It wasn't until after it was too late, till the deal had been sealed, did Sasuke learn of everything Itachi had been doing behind his back for years. The truth behind their sudden need to move to Otogakure left a bad taste in Sasuke's mouth to this day. He was almost glad, in a twisted and sadistic way, that he accepted the task of taking out Orochimaru. Itachi suffered as he watched Sasuke walk around with that man's brand tattooed on his shoulder, working to achieve the position of Orochimaru's favorite. Each night Sasuke spent gaining that snake's trust by doing his dirty work around town left a tear in his and his brother's relationship.<p>

And he didn't give a damn. Sasuke couldn't have cared less about the pained looks that followed him when he and Itachi were in the same room. He had wanted the guilt to eat away at his brother until Itachi was an empty husk.

The deeper Sasuke sank, the farther away Itachi's voice sounded to him. Yet they both kept their hands clutching around anything that could keep them together. The moment Sasuke lost sight of everything, including (regrettably) his guiding light, Itachi had taken hold of that decaying connection and yanked him back.

Where would he be today if Itachi hadn't been there to wake him from the constant nightmare that was his reality? If that promise hadn't been made…

"_We'll go back to Konoha the moment this is all over."_

Sasuke closed his eyes, Naruto's face being the first image he was able to conjure up at the mention of Konoha. The idiot had absolutely no idea exactly how much trouble he had kept Sasuke out of during his days under Orochimaru's control.

He should truly feel guilty about going behind Naruto's back like this, continuing his service under Akatsuki without putting up a fight. A part of him did feel that guilt, and it stacked up inside him like a tower of books that threatened to topple with each novel added to it. He had to manage it as best as he could, holding a hand on the top to keep it steady. What would he do when it became one book too many? It was already a close call as it was. All Naruto had to do was say one thing, or ask on question, and it would be up to Sasuke if he decided to continue adding to the pile.

For now he did his best to maintain the three parts that made him whole so that they didn't flow together and mix to become something poisonous. As long as he barricaded his revenge, his brother, and Naruto securely there would be no chance for lines to blur and any of the three to meet in the middle. His main concern was Naruto getting mixed up in his revenge, but he didn't see any way of that happening. They were practically polar opposites. He knew this wasn't a stable way to live, but it worked and he didn't see any reasons as to why he couldn't have everything go his way.

Things were fine the way they were, so there was nothing to worry about.

He entered his house and saw that there were already two pairs of shoes in the entryway. He left his neatly beside them and quietly padded up the stairs to dump his school bag on his bed. He wasted no time returning downstairs where Itachi and Tobi would be waiting in the living room.

As predicted, both men where there. Itachi was sitting cross-legged on the couch with an arm resting across the back while Tobi stood aimlessly by the extensive CD collection that had been their father's. Itachi rarely played any of the music, but he refused to get rid of them.

"Uchibi-kun's here!" Tobi sang when Sasuke entered the room. He threw his arms in the air as though the teen's arrival really was something to celebrate. "I already gave Itachi his assignment. Nothing for you, sorry." He didn't sound regretful.

Sasuke turned his gaze on Itachi. He'd only received two or three assignments after Sasuke's joining of the organization, but none of them had required him to kill anybody (not that he hadn't done such missions before his little brother's involvement). He merely dug up information and reported back with his findings. Somehow, by the look on the older Uchiha's face, that wasn't the case this time. "What's the assignment?"

Tobi answered for him. "He's going to kill Danzō Shimura!"

An icy chill shot down Sasuke's spine. Danzō…the man who had given the order for Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha to be slaughtered in their homes to prevent them from getting any closer to revealing his dirty dealings. He hadn't thought twice about the consequences. Itachi and Sasuke had only been children, but that didn't stop the man from doing anything to keep his record clean.

Sasuke's skin felt tight, and he balled his hands into fists. He opened his mouth to announce his desired involvement in this particular case, but Itachi beat him to it.

"I don't want you to be a part of this, Sasuke. Danzō isn't just some gang leader. He has ties with the Konoha politicians." Itachi's voice was stern, leaving no room for discussion. That didn't stop Sasuke.

"Yeah, so did Orochimaru." Sasuke hissed.

"Blackmailing politicians is different, Sasuke." Tobi interjected abruptly. "These guys actually like Danzō and won't be relieved when he's knocked out of the picture."

Sasuke loathed it when Tobi got serious like that. He didn't know what annoyed him more, the goofy idiot side or the one that was the voice of reason. Perhaps he just hated that the man was always right.

"Not to mention he has his ANBU doing all the dirty work for him, so there's no visible proof of anything on him. Speaking of gangs, when are you finally going to tell your little followers that you're not who they think you are? How long will you keep up the delinquent act just to please them? They should know the only reason you came to Orochimaru was to kill him."

Sasuke swallowed to soothe his dry throat. He stared at a spot on the wall behind Itachi's head and pretended that he hadn't heard anything Tobi just said. He didn't have to answer to that. Mostly because he didn't know how. It wasn't as though he could just turn to Karin, Suigetsu, and Jūgo one day and shout, _'Surprise! It's all a lie! I actually don't care about staking turf and fighting enemy gangs. I only started hanging out with you three because I had to kill the one man that took you in and gave you a bed to sleep on in exchange for your services. I'm not actually your savior, I had been ordered to do it and I wouldn't have given a flying fuck about Orochimaru or you guys otherwise. And the only reason I let you guys come back to Konoha with me was because you had nowhere else to go.'_

He may be considered a cold-hearted bastard by some people, but he wasn't _that_ bad. The three of them were doing much better here in Konoha than ever before. Suigetsu was the star of the school's swim team now, and Karin and Jūgo were excelling in other extracurricular activities of their own. He had successfully picked them up and helped them back on their own two feet. He saw no reason in telling them about his mission when things had worked out so well.

Now the ANBU…that was another matter. He had pissed them off, so there was no doubt that Danzō was aware of his presence in Konoha. He didn't know if the man held any ill will towards him and Itachi because of their parents (not that he would care if the bastard did), but he still had to tread carefully from now on. He hadn't run into any more trouble with the ANBU since the last time, but that didn't mean they weren't watching him from afar.

Movement in his peripheral vision pulled him out of his thoughts and he watched Tobi walking over to the coffee table in front of the couch. His eyes widened when he saw what had caught the man's attention, but he couldn't move fast enough to keep him from picking up the picture frame. Damn it, why hadn't Itachi put it in his room like he had asked? It was his brother who had insisted on getting the dumb pictures framed in the first place.

Sasuke yanked the frame that contained a copy of the photo booth captures he and Naruto had taken over a month ago. He had completely forgotten about showing them to Itachi and the older man requesting to frame it as the exchange happened over two weeks ago. Why were they suddenly making a reappearance now of all times? Now Tobi knew what Naruto looked like…something Sasuke had been hoping to put off for as long as possible.

He fixed a glare on the tall man, silently daring him to make some kind of weird comment on the photos.

Sensing the threat, Tobi reverted to his giddy persona. He jumped a foot back and wiggled his hips from side to side while swinging his arms about. "What are ya blushin' for, Uchibi-kun? Haha! I didn't see anything!"

Sasuke growled deep in his throat and Tobi feigned shaking in his spot.

"Oooh, scary!" Tobi stood straight and turned to Itachi as though completely forgetting about Sasuke attempting to glare a hole through him from across the room. "You won't believe what I heard yesterday while taking a walk. Two people were shouting their love confessions to Sasuke from the mountain." He looked back at Sasuke, smirk evident in his voice. "One of them was a _boy_."

Sasuke sighed in annoyance. He had done so well without having to deal with the topic at school, but clearly he couldn't get off that easy in his own home. He glanced at Itachi and knew he was doomed from the look of intrigue on his brother's face. He better not pester him for more details, though Sasuke had a feeling Itachi was making his own assumptions already.

Tobi giggled behind his mask at the brothers' silent exchange.

Itachi lifted an eyebrow and turned to the other man. "Is that all, Tobi?"

"Oh, there was one more thing…" The switch between personas was almost physical in the way Tobi's back straightened, and he folded his arms over his chest. "New information from a secret source. Your father wasn't working alone on the Danzō case. There was another man deep within the government who was close to bringing Danzō's crimes to the surface. His position wasn't public, so when he and his wife went missing seventeen years ago, nobody gave a second thought about the rumor that they had skipped town. But Fugaku Uchiha knew better and that was why he became more involved with the case."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. He didn't see how any of this was important to his parents' murder. So some other poor bastard and his wife got whacked before them. All the more reason to spill Danzō's blood, but it didn't intensify his need for revenge. He wanted Tobi to leave so he could be alone with Itachi and convince him to let him join the assignment.

Itachi's breath hitched, and Sasuke gazed at him in bemusement.

Tobi also watched him. "Have you figured it out, Itachi? Exactly whose parents preceded yours?"

Itachi's eyes locked with Sasuke's, and the urgency within them made it dawn on the younger Uchiha. Suddenly the need to kill Danzō intensified greater than he thought could ever be possible. The barrier containing his revenge cracked and began to leak. He already wanted the bastard's head on a silver platter for the murder of his parents, but now there was even more weight added to it. It was no longer just his mother and father that he would be avenging, but also…

* * *

><p>A violent sneeze ripped out of Naruto, the tip of his mechanical pencil breaking off at the force. He blinked several times, the force of the sneeze leaving him disoriented, before returning his attention to his homework.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Yup, a Sasuke-centric chapter.<strong>

**Don't worry, if you were hoping for more smut there is plenty to come next chapter and the others after it.**


	10. School Trip to Suna

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**AN: Wow, how long has it been?**

**I cannot tell you guys how ecstatic I am to have a laptop in my possession. Just to be typing on a keyboard again...! Wow!**

**In case you haven't read my profile on here (which I don't blame you for, I mean, who actually reads those?), I broke the inside of my computer where the charger goes. Still don't know how I did it. Geek Squad doesn't know how I did it. It will forever remain a mystery. But the good news is I'm back and I have the next chapter of "Cliche"!**

**A LOT happens in this chapter, so brace yourselves.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Ten<strong>

**School Trip to Suna**

June was the best month of the school year. Uniform blazers were left in the closets of Konoha senior high students, leaving them free to soak up the summer's heat through thin cotton shirts. Despite school policy, boys and girls left their ties behind, too. It was far too hot outside for the teachers to call them out on dress code violations, not that many of them were particularly strict about it to begin with; not in a small town high school, anyway.

Naruto and his friends were sitting on one side of the roof during the lunch break, sticking to the northern side, several other gatherings of second and third years scattered about with their food. They were all holding their own conversations just like his group, though the topic at hand in his circle was a bit unsettling.

"Do you think Hinata's will get that big when she's Tsunade's age?" Kiba held up his hands, silently judging how much he could hold in them.

Naruto rolled his eyes. What a pervert. He knew that Kiba had other, more innocent intentions; his hormones were just getting the best of him at the moment, albeit, it was no wonder he had boobs on the brain. What teenage boy didn't leave morning assembly on Mondays with such thoughts? Their principle, Tsunade, had the biggest jugs in all of Konoha (and the world, as far as Naruto knew).

"You should get a bike." Choji said to Shikamaru, brushing off Kiba's question abruptly.

All the boys stilled, necks strained, at the random suggestion, even Sasuke who was in the middle of taking a bite of his lunch. Shikamaru stared at Choji blankly. He opened his mouth as if to say something but he yawned instead.

Naruto pressed his lips together and smiled, turning to look at Choji. "Why a bike?"

The chubby boy shrugged. "Ino can sit on the back of it. They can ride to school together like that."

Naruto and Kiba studied Shikamaru's reaction. Ino wasn't the least bit subtle when it came to her feelings for Shikamaru, even if she hadn't outwardly said anything. There was no way the guy didn't know she liked him, but he never said anything about it. It would be a shame if he ignored her feelings for the sake of avoiding rejecting her. Naruto was ready to burst from the anticipation of whether or not they'd get together.

"It'd be troublesome to start riding a bike after all this time of walking." Shikamaru mumbled, taking a sip of his coffee. Funny, he always drank the stuff but the caffeine never seemed to have any effect on him.

"Wouldn't the wind from riding a bicycle make her skirt fly up?" Kiba asked thoughtfully. No one needed to ask who he was imagining as he thought up his own personal panty flash scenario. He was exceedingly lucky that Neji had graduated the year before otherwise he'd be forced to face him as an opponent. That would be one quick, yet deadly match.

"Are you suggesting," Sasuke said suddenly, speaking for the first time since Naruto had hauled him up to the roof to join them for lunch. "That Shikamaru will pedal fast enough to create a breeze?"

Everyone was dead still, glancing between Shikamaru and Sasuke to see if there were any bad sparks flying due to the offhanded comment. Both teens continued to eat their lunches, unperturbed.

Kiba snorted, and then he burst out laughing along with Choji and Naruto. "He's right! Shikamaru's too lazy to pick up speed."

"Ino wouldn't want to be carted around by his slow ass anyway. She'd end up being late for school." Naruto teased, and Choji laughed just a bit harder, coughing around the food in his mouth.

Shikamaru sighed and set his empty drink box down. "Troublesome."

"Oh, speaking of being late…" Naruto trailed off as he crumpled the plastic wrapping of his sandwich into a tight ball. He threw it at Kiba's head, earning a glare. "Don't forget that Sasuke's first kendo match is this Sunday!"

Sasuke dropped his fork to his salad bowl and glowered at Naruto incredulously.

"What? Don't you want a cheer squad at your first match?" Naruto already knew the answer before Sasuke said it.

"No."

Kiba snickered and tossed the plastic wrap ball into the hole created by Naruto's crossed legs, flicking up two fingers - V for victory. "Sorry, dude. I made plans with Hinata this Sunday."

Blue eyes widened before abruptly narrowing, a sly grin stretched across Naruto's lips. "What's this?" He leaned in close to Kiba as if inspecting him, searching for a lie. "A romantic tryst between star-crossed lovers? Does she know it's a date?"

"Would you back off?" Kiba shoved him in the shoulder. He sighed and scratched at the back of his head. "It's not a date, exactly. I was talkin' to her about taking Akamaru to the dog park, and I invited her to come along."

"Planning on squeezing a dinner somewhere in there?" Choji asked. They could never get enough of mocking their friends when it came to love interests (or girls in general).

"Shut up!" Kiba folded his arms over his chest. "At least I'm closer to getting a girlfriend than any of you guys!"

Naruto snorted arrogantly, leaning back on his arms with an air of self-satisfaction. He felt superior over the others because of his and Sasuke's relationship. It held depth; they were significant to each other in more ways than one. Not to mention he was getting more action than Kiba could dream of getting with Hinata, or Ino with Shikamaru.

It was quiet except for the other incomprehensible conversations going on around the roof, and he looked at his friends. Kiba and Choji were staring at him inquisitively while Shikamaru cloud gazed. Sasuke was watching him with a carefully guarded expression. Naruto wished that he could read the Uchiha's thoughts sometimes.

"What?" he asked when no one said anything, just stared.

Kiba shrugged, eyebrows perched high on his forehead. "I dunno dude, you tell me. You made a sound like I was wrong. Something you're not telling us?"

Sasuke sighed next to him and set his food down. He interlaced his fingers as if waiting for Naruto to spill the beans about their relationship.

Was Naruto even supposed to do that yet? How long had they been seeing each other, about two months? That was usually when couples announced their relationships, right? Though Sasuke hadn't seemed too pleased with Naruto confiding in Sakura about them; maybe he wasn't the kind of guy who wanted everyone to know about who he was dating. It was best to play it safe and not piss off Sasuke.

Naruto shook his head and waved his hand dismissively. "No, I was just thinking that I could get any girl I wanted in half the time it's taking you to confess to Hinata."

Kiba barked out a laugh. "Yeah right! Sakura turned you down a hundred times!"

Air filled Naruto's cheeks as he glared at his best friend, and he punched Kiba in the arm. "Sakura doesn't count! She's more like a sister anyway, so it would be weird to date her."

"She only became 'like a sister' after she rejected you so many times." Choji joined in with Kiba, chuckling.

"Whatever!" Naruto shouted, a few other students looking his way in curiosity. "I'm way more knowledgeable in the art of women than any of you."

"Only because your guardian is that pervert Jiraiya." Kiba narrowly avoided getting punched again.

Sasuke took a lengthy sip of his tea. "Idiot," he muttered while screwing the cap back on the recyclable bottle.

Naruto groaned. He absolutely couldn't win with these guys! On one hand, he was completely right to admit that he had gotten further than any of his friends. He might not be a hundred percent proud that he was the one bottoming, something they would surely use to associate him to a girl because those jerks liked to tease him, but he was still having sex! On the other hand, Kiba was correct in when it came to girls.

Naruto had never gotten to that stage; Sasuke had approached him first and they had worked it out together from there to get to the point they were at now. He couldn't even say that he and Sasuke were "going steady," because surely that term was reserved for people strictly going on dates and holding hands. With the bastard, they had tumbled head first into making out and sex. Don't get him wrong, he wasn't complaining. It was just that going on a date once in a while sounded really nice, and a part of him envied Kiba.

Batting the plastic wrap ball around in his hands, he returned to the subject prior to the chaos of dating. "So Kiba's out. What about you, Shikamaru? Choji? Either of you gonna come cheer on this asshole?" He jutted his thumb at Sasuke.

"Oh, thanks." Sasuke muttered in an irritated aside.

"Our dads are taking us fishing on Friday since we have Saturday off for the school's founding. We'll be gone all weekend." Choji answered for Shikamaru, who had kept his gaze on the sky this whole time.

"Oh, right." Naruto tilted his head in thought.

With those three leaving for the weekend, and Kiba taking Hinata out on a date (it didn't matter if he wasn't calling it that, a date was a date), that left only Naruto, Karin, and Sakura to cheer on Sasuke. Suigetsu said he had something to do for the swim team, and Jūgo might join them…Naruto wasn't sure how to interpret his shrug and hesitant smile. He could try asking Shino, but he doubted the guy really cared about sporting events, let alone Sasuke. It wouldn't make a difference if he came anyway; he wouldn't join them in cheering.

This sucked! Sasuke's first kendo meet was fast approaching and he barely had the makings of a proper cheer squad. Naruto would just have to yell extra loud. Were you even supposed to yell out at kendo meets? He had no idea…

The bell signaling the end of the lunch period tolled. Students scrambled to their feet to clean their area of trash and return to their classes.

It was a rather dull day from there and Naruto had a hard time paying attention. The lessons had dragged on too long in Naruto's opinion, leaving him in a sleepy state during his clean up duty. His classmates had already left to go to either their respective clubs or cram school or whatever they did after classes. What he wouldn't give to join Kiba and the others at the bookstore. Even at that moment he could see them leaving the school grounds together, and he sagged over the window ledge.

"If you would just do your job you could join them sooner, you know."

Naruto pulled himself up straight and looked at Sasuke tiredly. "I know, but I think I might go home after this. Wanna come?" He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from making a crude joke.

"Can't," Sasuke said as he continued pushing a wide broom across the floor. "I have practice after this."

Naruto heaved a sigh and went over to the trash bin by the teacher's desk, lifting it into his arms and hugging it to his chest. It was barely full, but he still had to go all the way out to the dumpster and empty it. "Right…" You're not allowed to be upset, he reminded himself, you're the one who pushed Sasuke into kendo. "Well, when are you free?"

"The night before the match." Sasuke pushed the dirt he collected into the dust pan. He carried the pan over to the bin and Naruto held it out for him to dump its contents.

"But…" Naruto started, catching Sasuke's smirk and knowing immediately that the asshole was teasing him. So what if Naruto wanted to spend some alone time with Sasuke before his big day? It was only natural to feel that way, right? "Then sleep over at my place that night. Is that okay?"

"A sleepover on the night of my first match? That sounds dangerous."

Scoffing, Naruto began his trek to the dumpsters outside. "Please, how dangerous can a sleepover get?"

* * *

><p>Naruto shuddered when the heated skin of his chest was exposed to the cool temperature of his bedroom. He helped Sasuke out of his own shirt, adding it to the beginnings of yet another pile of clothes on his floor.<p>

Calloused pale hands glided up and down his sides, making Naruto squirm at the tickling sensation and he bit back a laugh. He buried his face in Sasuke's neck, nipping a path up the column and stopping at the throbbing pulse beneath his jaw. He sucked on the spot, lips twitching into a smile when Sasuke hugged him around the middle almost desperately.

As much as he loved the feeling of their naked chests pressed together, or the childish impatience Sasuke always exhibited when they got intimate, he recalled Sasuke's previous concerns about this sleepover being 'dangerous,' and now he knew exactly what he had meant. "Maybe we shouldn't do it tonight. You have practice in the morning before the big meet tomorrow. Shouldn't you get a lot of rest?"

Sasuke pushed him back by his hips. He glared at Naruto for several long seconds, as though he was suspicious of the suggestion.

"Or not?" Naruto's grin wavered.

"Hn," Sasuke yanked him forward again. "I'll be fine."

Naruto automatically arched his neck back to give Sasuke better access. "I just don't want to be held responsible when Konoha's kendo team suffers because one of its members isn't at the top of his game."

"You'll be held responsible if he's irritable and gets fouled for unnecessary aggression on the floor." Sasuke's words were muffled due to his lips being pressed to Naruto's collarbone.

Naruto chuckled, running a hand through Sasuke's silky hair. He would have to ask him what kind of shampoo he used when they weren't busy. "We can't have that. Fine, then take all that aggression out on me. I'll bear it all."

Sasuke leaned up and looked him in the eyes. They seemed trapped in those words and then, just as quickly, Sasuke broke the spell. "Moron." He stepped back and glanced around the room. "Where did you put the condoms and lube?"

Naruto scratched at a spot on his chest. "I think I stuck them in the cabinet in the bathroom when Kiba came over the other day."

Sasuke left the bedroom in search of said items, and Naruto ditched his socks and pants. He was just laying down when Sasuke returned, his eyes locking onto Naruto's face first before sliding along his body. Naruto sat up again, leaving room on the bed for Sasuke to join him.

Sasuke sat down in front of him and they met half way in a searching kiss. The kiss was slow, but fervent. They kept rising up on their knees in order to tilt the other's head back and dominate the kiss. When they could go no higher, Naruto reached between them and began undoing Sasuke's pants. Together, they discarded them quickly and fell back onto the bedding.

Sometimes they couldn't get enough of kissing each other, and this was one of those times. Hands were purchased in hair or caressing cheeks, necks, and shoulders. Nimbly avoiding teeth, they pulled and melded lips, seemingly becoming one person at moments.

A part of Naruto wondered if they were too young to be kissing like this, as though they were lovers with years of separation finally coming to an end. He paused at the thought. For Sasuke, this truly was like an ongoing reunion, and…Naruto didn't want it any other way. He wanted Sasuke to want him endlessly.

When, exactly, had it gotten this bad?

Naruto choked out a gasp when Sasuke wrapped his fingers around his hardening penis. "Cold!"

Sasuke sighed and kissed a trail from Naruto's lips to his chest. After (very) little convincing, Naruto allowed Sasuke to replace his freezing hand with his mouth while he prepared him. Sasuke used his fingers inside of Naruto as a device to get him to thrust himself into Sasuke's mouth. He stopped just before Naruto came, crawling back up his body to kiss him again, but Naruto turned his head away. "What?"

"You just had a dick in your mouth. You're not kissing me."

"It was your dick, moron."

"Yeah, but you don't know where it's been!"

"That's good to know seeing as you just let me stick it in my mouth." He flicked Naruto upside the head gently, earning a whine of protest. "Quit saying stupid things." He positioned himself between Naruto's legs, but a hand on his shoulder caught his attention. "Now what?"

"Um. Wait." Naruto sat up hurriedly without thinking, smacking his forehead into Sasuke's. He couldn't stop the bubble of laughter that left him. "Oh, shit! Sorry!"

"Idiot…" Sasuke grumbled, bowing his head. Recovering quickly, he glared at Naruto. "What is it?"

"Well…" Naruto refused to meet his eyes. "I want to do this with you."

"Okay…is that it?" Sasuke asked when he said nothing else for the next few seconds.

"No," Naruto frowned. "Don't make fun of me. Could you be gentle tonight? I have to meet up with everyone in the morning to cheer you on."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at this.

"Don't give me that look! I mean, it's great when we do it, but- like- in the morning, I don't feel like getting out of bed. I just wanna sleep all day and be lazy. So this time let's…is it weird to say 'let's take it slow'?" Naruto frowned in thought, awaiting Sasuke's response.

"Moron, all you had to do was ask. Yes, I'll take it easy tonight." Sasuke said sincerely.

Naruto rolled his eyes, but in his relief he yanked Sasuke forward with a hand on his neck to kiss him soundly. He wasn't at all perturbed by the idea of kissing Sasuke after a blowjob. He had only been teasing; it was just too much fun to torment Sasuke during such an intimate act. It definitely made him feel at ease.

"I'm going to start now." Sasuke announced, and didn't leave room for any further interruptions.

Naruto held his breath on the initial thrust, but eventually relaxed to the sensation of fullness that came from having Sasuke inside him. Was it weird that he liked it so much? The feeling of Sasuke sliding in and out of him, his body shifting between his thighs and making Naruto's skin hum; even the look on Sasuke's face, the inner struggle he had to keep his eyes open every time (what kind of face would he make if Naruto was inside of him?), as if doing this was too much for him to restrain himself.

But Sasuke was in control. The whole time he kept the pace slow with long, drawn out thrusts that reached deep sometimes. It was torture, it was just right, and it kept a smile plastered on Naruto's face.

It was also taking longer to reach that point, and Naruto found himself snaking a hand between them so that he could pump his erection. He tried to match the pace of Sasuke's thrusts, which were gaining more frequency now – a sign that he was reaching his climax – but Naruto's arm couldn't be staid. He jerked himself quickly, barely aware of the dark eyes focused on his ministrations as he bit his lip to keep a groan back.

Sasuke gave a few cursory, powerful thrusts at the end before shuddering and burying his face in Naruto's neck. He could feel Naruto's knuckles brushing his stomach as he jerked himself to completion seconds after Sasuke. He turned his head to press dry lips to the overheated neck.

Naruto sighed quietly, kissing Sasuke's hair. He became increasingly aware of Sasuke's shivering body, the hips twitching against him. He shifted to look at him, only to stop short. Sasuke was still…really hard… "You-"

Insistent lips stopped him before he could say anything the bastard would consider 'idiotic'. As if one being, Sasuke rolled onto his back and Naruto followed, connected by their lips and Sasuke still buried deep inside. He placed his hands on narrow tan hips and showed Naruto just how to roll them properly so that he slid out only a couple of inches before entering again. He lifted his own hips to give more strength to the thrusts all the while guiding Naruto.

"Sasuke," Naruto whispered against the lazy lips on his. He was left breathless, dizzy, giddy, happy. Beneath him he could see Sasuke's face, overtaken by the sheer ecstasy he was feeling from this sex that was so minimal compared to the previous times they had done it. He felt good, and Sasuke felt good, and together they felt bliss.

Sasuke came alive suddenly, moving one hand to tangle it in sweaty blond locks to kiss the air out of Naruto's lungs. Their tongues slid against each other, twisted, teased, prodded everywhere as hips became uncoordinated and erratic.

Naruto was sure he felt Sasuke mutter a plea of some sort right before he came a second time. The shivering was more noticeable this time and Naruto felt the urge to soothe his best friend. He combed his fingers through dark tresses and skid his fingertips over the expanse of trembling pale chest. Something was different about tonight. He didn't know exactly what happened, what was going through Sasuke's mind, but he wasn't scared. In fact, he…

Finally, Sasuke settled down and pulled out, holding the condom on while he did so. He ushered Naruto off of him gently and got out of the bed. "Stay there, I'll bring you a towel."

"Okay," Naruto watched him through the darkness as Sasuke cautiously found his way to the bathroom. He returned only a couple of minutes later with a warm, damp towel and he handed it off to Naruto to wipe himself down. His bangs were stringy as if damp from washing his face. "Are you okay?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the question, taking the towel back when Naruto was done. "Why do you ask?"

"Just now-"

"I was horny. Can you blame a guy?" Sasuke tossed the towel on top of Naruto's dresser and retreated back to the bed, pulling the cover over them.

Naruto frowned. There was a deeper meaning behind that sudden round, because yes, he could blame the guy. Naruto could count on both his hands how many times he and Sasuke have had sex, and he knew for a fact that Sasuke never remained hard after coming.

Somehow, tonight was different and Sasuke was either too ashamed, or too defensive to disclose his feelings to Naruto. It reminded Naruto of what Sakura had said up on the mountain. Sasuke can't just come out and tell people what he's really thinking or feeling. Not even to Naruto...

Naruto decided it was best not to say anything, and soon Sasuke was tugging him close with an arm around his waist, tucking his head under Naruto's chin. They lay there in silence for a few minutes, and Naruto was sure Sasuke had fallen asleep until he suddenly felt the vibrations of the teen speaking against his chest.

"I have to get up early and go back home in the morning."

"Okay, that's fine. Wake me up before you go."

"…kay."

The room became silent again, and Naruto was absolutely certain Sasuke was about to fall asleep, but then a thought occurred to him. "If I go into your bedroom, am I going to find homo erotica novels everywhere?"

Sasuke pinched his side punishingly and turned over, his back to Naruto.

* * *

><p>There was no other way to describe it; Sasuke was a natural when it came to wielding a sword. Sure, it was actually a bamboo stick, but Naruto could easily visualize him with a katana, swinging at enemies without resistance or hesitation. Oddly, the word <em>avenger<em> came to mind. Sasuke looked like a predator on the floor as he dodged a blow from the opposing team and charged in with his own graceful jab of the shinai.

Another point, and just like that, it was over. The referee called it for Konoha senior high, and Naruto was jostled out of his stupor by Karin and Sakura.

"He's awesome!" Sakura beamed brightly next to him, one hand clasped in Naruto's, the other in Karin's. It was a silent prayer for his victory, not that they doubted him. "He's really thrived on this team, hasn't he?" She looked over at Karin's phone where the red haired girl was showing her a blurry picture she took during the match.

Naruto's hearing seemed to dull considerably despite the excited chatter surrounding him. He couldn't peel his eyes away from Sasuke for a second, pupils drawn and searching. Because Sasuke was the center of attention, but only Naruto knew what those muscles looked like under that kendo uniform. He knew what the other teen looked like flexed and anxious and concentrated. What Sasuke must smell like as he removed his gear, how his eyes must be dilated, even in the slightest, from the adrenaline coursing through his veins.

Fuck, now was not the time to be getting aroused; Naruto was sandwiched between Sakura and Jūgo, who had shown up after all. Apparently he had stopped by Suigetsu's swim meet and announced to Naruto and the girls that the silver-haired boy had easily taken first place in his section.

It was good to hear that the others were doing well on their own without getting into trouble. Naruto knew he couldn't take full credit, but he felt as though he had inspired this change in them. In truth, it was him taking up most of Sasuke's time that left the others with no leader, and therefore too much free time that they had to fill it somehow.

"…we can do it while we're on the trip, so bring your favorite color." Naruto caught the end of Sakura and Karin's conversation, and he turned to look at the girls.

"What trip?" he asked dumbly. Had they made summer vacation plans without him? That was just rude!

Sakura rolled her eyes as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "The class trip to Suna, remember? Third years go every year. Where have you been, we've discussed it in homeroom every day for the past month." Even Karin appeared exasperated with him. She was spending too much time with Sakura and Ino, and that was becoming a problem for Naruto.

Naruto wracked his brain for some kind of semblance of talk about a school trip. He recalled Kakashi sensei telling him not to worry about getting his permission slip signed, that the school had it covered. But that had been a while ago - like a whole week ago -he'd completely forgotten all about it. "When is it again?"

"Ugh, it's next week, you idiot." Sakura expelled a breath of air through her lips and turned her attention back to Karin. They no longer had any interest in the kendo matches now that Sasuke had won and taken his spot kneeling quietly with his teammates.

Naruto made a face at them when they weren't paying attention before turning to Jūgo. The bulky teenager sat with his shoulders slightly hunched, as if trying to take up as minimal room on the bleachers as possible, but otherwise he looked completely complacent. It was as if his mind wasn't there with them. "Um…" he said, getting the tall boy's attention. Looking close enough, he saw there was a slight discoloration to Jūgo's complexion, almost like splotches of a faded grey-ish color over his usual bronze tone. Scars? Was he burned as a child? He chose to ignore it for now; he'd ask Sasuke if he knew about it later. "Are you going to Suna with the class?"

Jūgo gave a gentle smile and shook his head. He was always so quiet for his size, even when moving around. Naruto would think a guy like Jūgo would make the ground shake with each step, yet you could turn around and suddenly the guy was there, waiting patiently to be acknowledged. He seemed very fond of Sasuke for some reason, though Sasuke said nothing of it.

In fact, the whole group seemed attached to Sasuke as though they were kids admiring their kindergarten teacher; of course, Suigetsu seemed to show it through aggression while Karin was clingy, and Jūgo obedient.

Naruto picked up on all these things, but he couldn't bring himself to ask Sasuke how exactly he met them, and why they would go to the length of leaving Otogakure with him when there was nothing here in Konoha for them. That took serious dedication, to leave your home for someone else.

Naruto didn't think he could do it. Konoha was his home, the only place he ever lived. He knew the people here, had both good and bad memories. His life was here, and he couldn't see it going anywhere beyond the border of his town, a safe bubble he secluded himself to.

Of course he was adventurous, and school trips were a great chance to see what was out there without having to do any permanent relocating. One time, Jiraiya took him out to the country where rice fields bordered the dirt pathway, the fields stretching on for miles and miles. Jiraiya made sure Naruto knew what real labor was, what it was like to get your hands dirty through scrupulous hard work. At the end of the week, Naruto trudged into his apartment and collapsed on his bed, arms too sore to move, and they remained that way for three days afterwards.

He vaguely wondered what Sasuke thought of his old home town. Has he reconnected with his roots yet, or was he purely aloof when it came to where he lived? He hadn't seemed that perturbed about leaving when they were kids. Naruto always saw him as adaptable, something he admired but never aspired to be. Location was important to him, and he could only hope that Sasuke was willing to claim Konoha as is home for…well, ever.

* * *

><p><em>The day he feared had finally arrived.<em>

"Sakura-chan, please, be reasonable." Naruto glowered in an almost animalistic manner at the pink haired girl.

"You're the one being unreasonable, Naruto." Sasuke snapped, practically dragging Naruto from his seat. "Let go of the desk, you idiot!"

"You guys make exceptions, right? I have bad eyesight!" Naruto whined, clinging to the most perfect desk in the most perfect spot (although that spot was currently being ruined by Sakura towing him and the desk further away from the wall). Damn it, didn't she know that all the heroes of manga series had a window seat in the back of the classroom? She was going against nature by sending him off into no man's land without a second thought!

"That would mean you have to sit in the front!"

Naruto shifted his eyes around the classroom. Sasuke was already sitting in his new seat assignment, his back to the chaos in the classroom. He didn't think he was going to get any help from the cold hearted bastard anyway, so he turned to Kiba. What were friends for, after all, if you couldn't count on them to…no…NO! The dog lover was shaking his head at him, already denying any requests of help before they could even be made. Okay, fine, the good thing about having lots of friends meant that you weren't always out of options. Shikamaru could do something! He was also a class rep, so he had as much power as Sakura when it came to these things. Where was that lazy sonova…sleeping. Of course he was sleeping during the new term's seat assignments. Why did Naruto actually think he had a chance of getting Shika's help?

Sakura successfully pried his iron grip off the desktop. No one could tell by just looking at her, but she secretly had the strength of thirty grown men and used it when she saw necessary. Like right now, with this wallowing moron she called her friend.

"I'm far-sided!" Naruto cried in one last attempt to keep his spot.

"It's far_sighted_!" she yelled and kneed him in the pelvic area.

"Gah! I think you bruised my bladder!" He doubled over and gripped the material of his shirt over his stomach.

"No I didn't." Sakura rolled her eyes and dragged Naruto by the collar of his shirt down the aisle, dropping him off by his new desk.

"It's gonna hurt to pee now." Naruto whimpered as he used the desk for support to stand up. He looked at his new spot and pouted. He was in the second row from the window, and only one seat back from the front of the classroom. Man, this term was going to suck! Looking behind him, he saw that Sakura had the seat directly behind Sasuke in the middle row of desks. They seemed so far away now… Naruto never thought he would miss sitting behind Sasuke.

Shikamaru trudged up to the front of the classroom (oh, so now he was awake) with a stack of papers. "Now that you're all settled, there are some last minute details about the school trip tomorrow…"

Naruto bit his bottom lip to keep from shouting in excitement. Sharing a room with all his friends on futons, goofing off until a teacher came in to fuss at them, the public baths, sightseeing, playing pranks on sleeping students, telling scary stories, and making up games…the whole experience was something to treasure.

Glancing over his shoulder, Naruto smiled at Sasuke's placid expression; he hadn't been on a class trip with Sasuke in years. When they were little, their class had taken a trip to the aquarium to see a special penguin exhibit that would only be there that winter. The class had to hold hands so no one would get lost, and Naruto had demanded to stand between Sasuke and Sakura so that the two of them wouldn't get any ideas while Naruto's back was turned. At the beginning of their friendship, Naruto had been certain that Sasuke was trying to make a move on his girl, but looking back on it now, he felt a tad ridiculous for assuming that. It was clear now that Sakura had been coming on to Sasuke - in the most innocent meaning of the term. They had only been nine, after all.

Although, if he was honest with himself, his favorite trip was when they were eleven, and he and Sasuke had snuck out of the old hotel their class was staying in at the base of a mountain. Earlier in the day they had hiked a mile up into the mountain, their teachers informing the class about the different kinds of herbs and plants that grew along the path. Naruto convinced (more like dragged him out of his futon) Sasuke to return to the trail and look for a special flower that only bloomed at night - or, at least, that's what Shikamaru had told Naruto during lunch. Naruto was going to pick the flower for Sakura and make her fall in love with him. They never did find the flower, but what they did find was a hundred times better! A small lake where hundreds of fireflies nested, wild flowers that seemed to glow under the insects' lights, the water reflecting the moon and giving the whole area an ethereal glow. It was just like an enchanted forest from a book, and Naruto was still convinced to this day that they had found a lake that belonged to fairies.

He wondered if Sasuke had fun on his class trips in Otogakure. Did he have a new friend that he goofed off with? Or would he sneak out with Suigetsu and the others?

Sasuke hadn't mentioned much of his gang's origins. Naruto wasn't even sure if the others went to Sasuke's school, but he assumed they did since they arrived at Konoha in Otogakure High uniforms. Welp, they had a whole three days together in a new town. He'd definitely find time to ask Sasuke while they were in Suna.

* * *

><p>Ugh, boring, boring, BORING! Seriously, who cared about these creepy puppets that apparently people in Suna prided enough to set up in a shrine. All around him was the sound of cranking mechanisms in trees that allowed the puppets to walk as freely and animatedly as they pleased, just like any other human with a will of their own. It was not fascinating in the least to Naruto. The people controlling the puppets were just as disturbing, wearing weird face paint and dark hoods despite the heat index of this desert town. One puppet creaked as it moved towards him, bowing in greeting.<p>

Naruto cringed and took a few steps back. The puppet followed. Okay, now he was officially done with this place. He thought coming to Suna would be fun since he'd get to goof off with his friends, but…

Okay, he didn't know how or when it happened, but he got separated from his class! It wasn't like it was intentional, either! He had just turned around and low and behold, the whole group had evaporated into thin air. He couldn't see a familiar face anywhere he turned. No pink hair or duck butt style. No mop of shaggy brown hair or even that pineapple ponytail of Shikamaru's. He was utterly alone, abandoned in a puppet shrine full of terrifying puppeteers and their dumb toys.

That puppet was still approaching him, too! It had wild brown, ratty, and dirty hair, and three eyes set up on its face like the points of a triangle. It suddenly lifted four arms out to Naruto and chills raced down his spine. Damn it, he usually didn't have a problem with dolls and stuff, but these puppets were just plain as fuck weird!

Turning on his heels to get away from the puppet, Naruto bit out a colorful string of words when he collided into somebody. He prayed to the gods above that it wasn't another puppet, and that he didn't break it due to the impact because he had no idea how much repairs would cost, before looking at who stood before him.

Oh great, this kid wasn't much better…

Shocking red hair caught Naruto's attention first, and then he noticed the black eyeliner surrounding bright green eyes. And that was…a tattoo on the guy's forehead. Well that was bold. He was probably one of those visual kei fanatics, Naruto mused. He probably went to loud concerts with similarly dressed fans that never danced to the music because their costumes might fall to pieces. Oh god, he'd been staring at the guy for a while now, he probably looked like some creeper that checked out other dudes! Look away!

"Uh," Naruto forced himself to meet those watchful, pale green eyes. A shudder inducing thought about them being able to see through him, into his very soul, made him swallow audibly. "I'm sorry…"

"Are you scared of Crow?" the boy asked. His voice was rough, hoarse, like he had been screaming all day yesterday and maybe the day before, and even before that.

Well that wasn't what Naruto had been expecting, but it was just as much confusing. "Uh…who?"

"My brother's puppet. The one you're trying so desperately and failing to avoid." He inclined his head towards the area behind Naruto.

Tensing up, Naruto knew exactly what he was going to see if he turned around right at that moment. Twisting his head just slightly, he was met with the gaze of the three-eyed puppet, its mouth gaping and revealing sharp teeth. "God damn it!" Naruto cried and skipped away, securing a spot of safety behind the red head.

The boy stared back at him incredulously. "It's because you're freaking out that Kankuro is messing with you."

"I can't help it!" Naruto whined, ducking behind the teen when the puppet crept closer. "It's so creepy! Make it go away!"

Sighing, the boy waved his hand at someone crouched behind a tree, and the puppet reeled back a few feet. "Better, you giant baby?"

"Oi, don't call me a baby!" Naruto bellowed. "I'll have you know I'm one of the bravest guys you'll ever meet! I just can't deal with snakes, creepy puppets, spiders – depending on how big they are, abandoned houses…" His voice lowered the further he got down the list until he was mumbling unintelligibly. Looking up at the blank face across from him, he straightened and beamed. Just the fact that this guy hadn't left during his inane rambling was enough to brighten his mood; he was so used to people tuning him out. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki, by the way! I'm here on a class trip, but I got separated from my group…uh, is your brother gonna come over here?"

"No," the boy said, a hint of amusement in his tone. "So you're a scaredy-cat and a moron?"

"You wanna die, asshole?" Naruto growled in annoyance.

The other teen raised an eyebrow…or at least Naruto thought he did. Now that he took a closer look, the guy didn't have any eyebrows. He was possibly the most peculiar looking being Naruto had ever met. Like an alien…or a fetus.

"You shouldn't threaten someone who's going to help you find your class. A scaredy-cat, a moron, and rude. You're going to be single the rest of your life, you know."

Naruto glared at the other boy. Not only did this guy not even mention before now that he was going to help him, but he was assuming that he was single, too! "I'll have you know that I am seeing someone and we like each other a lot and have hot, steamy sex that wakes up all the neighbors more often than you even think about masturbating!"

Realizing what he just shouted, Naruto flushed under the curious stares directed at the two boys. It was even more aggravating because the red head had on a blank face that probably translated to doubt in Naruto's words.

"I'm Gaara," he finally said after a long stretch of silence.

Suddenly remembering his manners, Naruto begrudgingly muttered a brief 'nice to meet you'.

It didn't take long for Naruto to find the others with Gaara's help – they were actually a lot closer than he'd thought. He went running to his friends with open arms, only to be met with Sakura's fury, which he used Gaara as a shield (once more) against.

"Naruto! Don't you realize how much trouble you've caused? We were about to go to the police to look for you! The school could get in a lot of trouble if you were abducted!" Sakura blared, making Naruto shrink with each sentence.

"It's good to know you're more worried about the school's wellbeing in the instance of me being abducted…" Naruto muttered, making Gaara's lips quirk in a slight smile.

"What was that?" Sakura towered over both Gaara and Naruto. Even the red head had the good sense to back up a couple of inches.

"Nothing!" Naruto squeaked.

"Just how long do you plan on cowering behind him, moron?" Sasuke said from where he was hanging back from the group. His gaze was set on Gaara, but it flicked to Naruto to show his clear disapproval. For some reason beyond Naruto, he recognized this as Sasuke's possessiveness, making it a first for the usually stoic boy to feel insecure about Naruto hanging around another male.

Naruto straightened his shoulders and stomped over to Sasuke, unperturbed by the jealous glare the bastard was trying so hard to stamp down. "Huh?" Naruto shoved his hands in his jean pockets and leaned into Sasuke's face. He was doing his best to appear like one of those 90's gangsters, but it wasn't working so well without the baggy pants and pompadour hairdo. "Who's cowering? Jerk!"

"How am I the jerk?" Sasuke pushed back.

"I got lost because you weren't watching me close enough!" Their foreheads bumped together, eyes glowering and teeth grinding.

"Who says I have to keep my eyes on you constantly?"

Keeping in mind where they were and who they were with, Naruto puffed out his cheeks in annoyance. "You're my friend! Take responsibility for me!"

"He's right, Sasuke," Sakura added matter-of-factly. "Naruto is your responsibility now."

Both Sasuke and Naruto glanced at her, blue eyes bright and shining at Sakura's acceptance of their relationship.

"I never asked for this…" Sasuke grumbled.

"Yes you did." Sakura glared pointedly at the Uchiha, and Sasuke swallowed in recognition. She turned to Gaara, her voice and visage softening from the harsh reprimanding one she had been using on Naruto and Sasuke. She thanked him politely for returning Naruto to them safely, as if she was suddenly the blond boy's mother.

"Don't run off on your own." He smacked Naruto over the head, only to receive a punch to the gut in retaliation. Some of the students in their class that were paying attention to the exchange laughed. "Why you…"

Naruto fled from Sasuke's attempt to grab him – probably to wring his neck – in the blink of an eye, standing before Gaara once again. "Thanks so much for helping me today! Are you free tomorrow?"

Gaara quirked his head to the side. "Are you asking me on a date?"

"What?" Naruto's cheeks flushed at the implication. Oh great, first Sasuke and now this asshole. It wasn't like he was into dudes on a regular basis! Just Sasuke! "No! No, no, no, no! I just wanted to thank you for today and I have half the day off tomorrow to do what I want, so maybe we can hang out-"

"I have better things to do than play tour guide for a moronic, rude scaredy-cat." Gaara took a step back from the blazing blue eyes that threatened to burn him alive where he stood. Rolling his eyes, Gaara dug a hand into the pocket on his jacket and pulled out a cell phone. "Give me your email."

This guy was weird! Nonetheless, Naruto pulled out his own phone and exchanged his information with the red head. Gaara dismissed himself shortly after that and Naruto waved to him till he was out of sight in the crowded sidewalk.

"I can't believe we're here for all of five hours and you manage to get yourself lost." Sakura huffed.

"Oh, cut me some slack, Sakura." Naruto whined. He was never going to hear the end of this now.

* * *

><p>"Whoa, you're blond down there, too!" A boy in his class shouted in disbelief. Some other boys in his clique gathered around at the cry.<p>

Naruto's fist tightened around the bar of soap, suppressing the urge to shove it down the guy's throat. He was about to tell the audience gathering to get lost when Sasuke suddenly kicked the boy sitting on the stool next to Naruto in the side, successfully freeing the seat and taking it for himself.

"Piss off." Sasuke growled, removing his towel and reaching for the detachable shower head in front of him. The boys scowled but retreated, muttering amongst themselves about what they did to anger the Uchiha. Apparently the delinquent rumor was still stuck to Sasuke like a sign around his neck (not that it was completely far from the truth).

"I could have handled them myself." Naruto glanced at Sasuke, using every ounce of willpower to keep his eyes from traveling down his friend's body.

Sasuke scoffed as he shampooed his hair. "I didn't do it for you. They were done and wasting space." He began rinsing out his hair, and under the spray of the water he murmured an amused, "You can look if you want."

"Do you really want me to punch you in a public bath?" Naruto snapped, looking around to see if anyone was within earshot. He and Sasuke were the only ones left at the showers; all the other boys were either roughhousing or attempting to ignore said roughhousing in order to enjoy the bath.

Sasuke watched him carefully before sighing. "Are you that worried about someone finding out about us?"

"You-" Naruto brought his voice down to a sharp whisper. "You don't want anyone to know about us, either!"

"Yes, but you don't see me glancing around like a paranoid hen." Sasuke glared, daring Naruto to argue.

Naruto clamped his mouth shut and frowned down at his lap. Were they arguing? Why were they arguing? He knew that he was a tad bit agitated because of the boys gathering around him like he was some attraction in the circus earlier (so what if he was a natural blond? That didn't make him any less Japanese than the other boys in his class!), but what was Sasuke's damage? He was used to dealing with the bastard's moods in private, so to try to decipher them now, with anyone able to see them, was just a heart attack waiting to happen on his part.

"We both have to loosen up if we want this to work out." Naruto said quietly.

"You mean tell people?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto couldn't gauge his reaction due to the flat tone and face. "Not exactly. But so what if they find out, right? I mean, it's been a couple of months, so…it's fine, right?" He trailed off and Sasuke looked at him. Flushed, Naruto shrugged his shoulders and went back to washing. "I mean, 'm not saying that we have to go all PDA or anything, but…we shouldn't have to worry so much."

If he was dating a girl, he would be bragging to his friends about it. So why was Sasuke any different? He wasn't ashamed of their relationship, and he doubted Sasuke was, so it should be okay. Of course, Sasuke was a private person, so Naruto wouldn't go against his wishes if he didn't want to come out in the open yet.

"I like you, Sasuke," Naruto scratched at his wrist distractedly. "And I'm happy with you."

Silence stretched between them as they finished up at the showers. Naruto stood up from the stool, only to have his wrist caught and jerked down so that he was eye level with Sasuke.

"Me too," Sasuke said, his dark eyes roaming all over Naruto's face before lingering on parted lips. "Don't go around yelling it off a mountain like some idiot, but…if someone asks, there's no denying it." He released Naruto and they stood together.

Naruto snickered at the mountain comment. "That goes for you, too."

"Hn." Sasuke gave a curt nod.

Naruto groaned and ran a hand through his hair. "Damn it…"

"What?" The genuine concern in Sasuke's voice was a nice surprise.

"Nothing," Naruto whispered. "I just really want to kiss you right now."

"Hey Naruto!" Kiba called out and both boys turned to him. "The girls are in the bath next door! Let's go say hi!"

"Yeah!" Naruto cheered. A solid kick to his ribs had him doubled over on the floor instantly. "Owwwww…Sasuke, what was that for?"

"What do you think, idiot?"

"You trying to start shit, Uchiha?"

"I believe that's your job, moron."

* * *

><p><em>A place to eat lunch? I can't think of anything special. Just go to McDonalds. –Gaara<em>

Naruto glowered at the message on his phone screen for a few angry seconds before punching in a reply on the keypad. _Damn it, asshole, think HARD!_

"What did he say?" Sakura asked, leaning over his shoulder to look at the screen.

Naruto slid the screen shut and grinned sheepishly. "He's thinking…"

Ino and Sakura stared at him with twin expressions of skepticism. They had been hoping to try one of those hole-in-the-wall restaurants that "cool people" in Suna went to for lunch and dinner. Both had made sure to dress appropriately for such a place, rushing back to the hotel after they were done with tours to get ready. Women…sheesh.

It was times like this that he was actually grateful for Sasuke, because the bastard was sensible. Not to mention he was arrogant so he didn't have to work hard to make himself look good. Smiling, Naruto looked Sasuke's attire up and down appreciatively. He was dressed cool for the summer, a thin t-shirt with a simple cotton vest and vintage jeans. He really didn't have to do much to look good…

Oh god, he was ogling his best friend. That was what girls at their school did, eyed the Uchiha like he was a piece of meat they wanted to devour raw, and now he was proving himself to be no better than a ravenous high school chick. Heading over to Sasuke, he grinned wide and Sasuke looked at him curiously.

"What's up?"

He wasn't sure why he wanted to laugh at that. He was happy. Overwhelmingly so. He was on a school trip with Sasuke, after all these years, finally, and it was going exactly how he'd pictured it would. Well, almost. Sasuke, whether feigning it or not, was interested in the exhibits and monuments they were brought to. He paid attention, executing the proper display of conduct that was expected in a student. He didn't ask questions, but he also didn't goof off or allow his eyes to wander aimlessly. Naruto licked his lips as he thought deeper.

Sasuke wasn't asked to leave the private school in Otogakure.

There simply wasn't any way he could have been, because he was an excellent student; smart and well behaved in class. Respectful to teachers and rules. Other than his scuffles on the streets at night, Sasuke could be what some called a golden child.

Damn it, Naruto had sworn he would get to the bottom of Sasuke's misbehaving's, but he had been distracted – and something told him that some of said distractions were purposeful. Well, he had no proof of that. But Sasuke clearly didn't want Naruto to focus on such parts of his life (he had said something along those lines once, didn't he?).

At least Sasuke hadn't been going around at night acting like a delinquent anymore. Naruto was sure of it; Sasuke spent the night at his house most of the time. His face heated at a strange thought. His ass was keeping the streets safe at night.

His phone vibrated in his hand and Naruto was grateful for the distraction. His smile grew by the second as Gaara gave him a few addresses of some low key restaurants that usually didn't get too busy, adding at the end of the message that he and his siblings would meet them there. Naruto listed off the choices to the others in their group, which consisted of Sakura, Ino, Sasuke, Shikamaru, Choji, and Karin. Hinata and Kiba had made plans to hang out with Shino, and Suigetsu and Jūgo hadn't bothered to come on the trip at all, instead spending their days in the classroom with any others who had stayed behind and doing classwork.

Coming to a unanimous decision, Naruto emailed Gaara their plans and agreed to meet the siblings in twenty minutes at a restaurant a few blocks away. Along the way, they stopped by vendors on the street, looking at Suna design accessories that catered to tourists such as themselves. Luckily, the girls were much too classy for souvenirs like those and the group was able to move on quickly.

Naruto and Sasuke stuck to the back of the troupe, Naruto watching Ino do practically everything they could to remain within ten feet or less of Shikamaru. For once Shika appeared to take notice to her clingy behavior, and he even seemed a bit embarrassed when they got too close. It was actually a spectacular sight to see the lazy teen flustered by the presence of a girl. Of course, Shikamaru would just blow it off and look in the opposite direction, but still…fascinating.

"I can't believe that all my friends have been struggling with crushes for years and I'm the one who ends up in a relationship before all of them." Naruto muttered, bumping his shoulder into Sasuke casually as they walked. He received a nudge in return and smiled to himself.

"What about you and Sakura?" Sasuke glanced off to the side, pretending to be interested in a banner hanging over a shop. "Do you still…" The question was left unasked.

Naruto didn't know why he took comfort in Sasuke's insecurities. Maybe because it made the other teen seem more human to him, or maybe it made him feel justified in his own. "I don't think she would have ever returned my feelings, whether you came back or not. I've accepted that. But still…it's painful to let go of a six year crush."

Sasuke's hand brushed the back of Naruto's, and Naruto knew it wasn't an accident. "I know what you mean."

He frowned at that. "But I never-"

"I was prepared for you to." Sasuke cut him off. "I never expected us to end up here."

Naruto's fingers twitched, hesitating only for a second. Quickly, he hooked them on Sasuke's, relishing in the heat that traveled up his arm. He wondered if Sasuke felt it, too. He suddenly desired to kiss Sasuke in front of everyone. "Are you happy with me? Is this what you wanted?"

Sasuke was silent, tense, evidently choosing his words carefully. Naruto wasn't sure what to anticipate as a response anymore, but it made him apprehensive. "I-"

"Sasuke!" Karin latched onto Sasuke's free arm and Naruto released his hand. "I've never had teppanyaki before! What would you suggest I try?"

"You've really never had it before, Karin?" Naruto asked in shock, not missing a beat. He'd have to talk to Sasuke about his automatic death glare later, but Karin seemed immune to it.

"Yeah, I've never gotten a chance before now." Karin turned her full attention on Naruto.

"Oh man, you're in for a treat! This one time, I went to Pervert's house and he made some really awesome scallops! I just about died and went to heaven, they were so good!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes at the two idiots that were jabbering excitedly about ingredients in monja on either side of him. Thankfully, they reached the restaurant quickly, resulting in Karin releasing him so that she could stroll in alongside with Sakura and Ino.

After being seated, Ino and Sakura immediately delved into an argument with Choji about ordering regular okonomiyaki since he could get it back home, only quieting down when Gaara and his siblings came in and sat at their table.

Naruto blinked at the boy next to Gaara with normal brown hair and an extremely nondescript face. The pieces clicked together and he leaned in close to the boy, glaring. "You're Kankuro?"

Unperturbed by the breeching of his personal space, the boy smirked. "That's right. And you're the baby that called my puppet creepy. That hurt my feelings."

"Oh, you're Naruto?" The blonde girl on the other side of Gaara hummed in amusement. "I'm Temari, Gaara's sister."

Wow, she sounded a lot more mature than she looked. All in all, the three siblings were something he never saw in Konoha. Gaara still had on his eyeliner, and there was no sign of his eyebrows growing back. Kankuro was wearing a black sweatshirt and pants while it was almost 39 degrees celsius outside, and Temari seemed to be rocking the fishnet style, what, with the thigh high socks, arm socks, and fishnet tank top layered over a purple dress.

Naruto mentally fist pumped. He'd always wanted to meet these kinds of j-rock wannabes. They were so bad ass in manga!

Introductions made their way around the table, coming to a screeching halt - like watching a train wreck and the only thing you could do was sit there and watch it happen, hoping that you don't get hit by any flying debris even though you know it's inevitable - with Temari and Shikamaru.

"How old are you?" she asked casually, making both Sakura and Ino bristle in their seats. Naruto even noticed Karin get tense, seeing signs of her newly found friend's love life being in danger.

"Seventeen," Shikamaru kept his eyes on her, which was a difficult feat to accomplish.

"That's a shame." Temari smirked at him, resting an elbow on the table and propping up her chin with her hand.

Naruto glanced between the two, turning to Sasuke. "This is what they call instant attraction, right?"

"Yes, moron."

"It's intense!" he whispered behind his hand. While he did find Sasuke attractive, he never experienced such an extreme initial allure with the other boy – probably because they met when they were eight years old, and then Sasuke was rude when they were reunited back in April. He had been too pissed to really care what the other teen had looked like.

The strain on the table was broken as soon as a server arrived at their table and Temari and Kankuro listed off ingredients to bring to the table.

"So you're from Konoha, huh?" Kankuro jeered playfully. "We kicked your ass at last year's basketball tournament."

"Yeah, but then you were creamed by Iwagakure the very next game." Choji argued, surprising half the table that didn't know he had any other interests beyond food and video games.

"That so?" Kankuro grinned as he set out another challenge that Choji, and even Karin at some points when it involved Otogakure, met eagerly with their own jibes.

Naruto had never taken much interest in sports teams before, so he had nothing to contribute to the school pride war going on between those three. Even so, he was delighted to see Choji and Karin stepping out of their shells.

After monjayaki, Naruto convinced (what he was now calling) the 'sand siblings' to give them a more in-depth tour of Suna, since they had been taken to all the landmarks and temples the day before.

There was actually a lot that they had been missing out on. They took pictures of themselves by a large tanuki statue with balls bigger than Sasuke's ego – as Naruto politely pointed out. He managed to get Sasuke to take a picture with him in front of it, both of them pretending to try to lift the stationary testicles.

They passed by a sand sculpting competition where they learned that Gaara was actually a pro, because apparently that was a big deal in Suna. Naruto tried to enter but apparently he had to fill out a form before the contest started, so his dream of sculpting the largest, most detailed pair of sand breasts ever was crushed.

Kankuro brought them to a puppet workshop that took custom orders, but Naruto refused to go in so he stood outside with Sasuke and Gaara. While they were out there, they found out that Gaara was a grade below them, he was born premature so his eyebrows were merely nonexistent, not shaved; and that his father was the Kazekage of Suna. The boy himself seemed unimpressed with his father's prefectural status, but Naruto couldn't stop ranting about how cool it was that his father held such a high position in the government. He only dreamed of holding a position like that one day in Konoha!

When everyone was finished in the shop, they took a train to the other side of town where Temari said the best shopping mall was. She was definitely the most mature of the group, which seemed to have Shikamaru in some kind of trance. They were standing together at the back of the near empty car, discussing the advantages of wind powered energy as opposed to other sources (or something like that…Naruto wasn't following along very well). Naruto had never seen Shika so focused on, well…anyone. When Temari moved, so did he. If she looked one way, he would follow. They were like one being separated into two bodies, and now they were finally reunited.

He winced to himself and checked on Ino to see how she was handling the situation. As expected, her eyes were glued on the couple with the antsiest expression Naruto had ever seen on a girl, she even bested Hinata in this instance! She was wriggling in her seat, only mildly soothed by the reassurance Sakura and Karin were giving her. He wished he could help somehow, but unfortunately there was no way for Ino to compete with such a mature woman that used a fold out fan to cool herself in the most blasé manner.

"Aw man…this really sucks for Ino. Who would have thought coming to Suna would finally kick Shika's hormones into gear?" Naruto whispered to Sasuke, partly as an excuse to lean in close to the boy despite the lack of air conditioning on the train. He liked the feel of the heat radiating between their bodies.

Sasuke didn't pull away, instead leaning his face closer to Naruto's ear so that his lips purposefully brushed the soft flesh. The touch went straight to Naruto's groin. "I understand her predicament. It's the same when I watch you hanging all over Gaara."

"What was that?" Naruto hissed back, ignoring his arousal and jabbing Sasuke in the ribs with his fingers. "I haven't been hanging all over him! It's just someone new, so I'm being friendly."

"You didn't react this way with Suigetsu, Jūgo, or Karin." Sasuke stated calmly as he clamped down on Naruto's fingers with a fist, squeezing mercilessly until Naruto wheezed in pain.

Naruto flexed his abused fingers with a pout. "Yeah, well Suigetsu was always threatening me, and Jūgo doesn't say much. And as for Karin, I made an attempt, but Sakura and Ino swept her away before I could try anything."

"Try anything?" Sasuke repeated, turning a mute glare on him.

Deciphering the look as one of Sasuke's jealous glares, Naruto snickered darkly as an evil thought came to him. Narrowing his eyes to go with his sly smile, he hunched his shoulders to complete his look of being a total creep. "Oh yeah, I totally wanted to get in her Hello Kitty panties. Red heads are so damn sexy-"

Sasuke turned to the girls, raising his voice. "Karin, Naruto says he wants to-" He finished his sentence as an incomprehensible slur into Naruto's hands.

"Sasuke, you bastard!" Naruto whined, but he could feel the smirk against the palm of his hand. It just made him want to strangle the asshole all the more. Feeling the girls' eyes on him from across the train car, he waved his hand dismissively at them and turned his attention back to Sasuke.

Sasuke only leaned back in his seat with a satisfied smirk gracing his thin lips.

Every day, Naruto had the urge to kiss him more and more, no matter where they were. Instead, he sighed and flopped back, too, his left arm splayed across Sasuke's lap. They didn't say anything for the rest of the ride.

When they reached the platform of the station, Ino and the girls' spirits seemed to lift at the sight of the mall that stretched before them. Naruto thought it a little strange that a mall was attached to a train station, but Gaara explained that the railroad line branched off to other prefectures so it was more of a tourist trap than anything.

The mall was blazing with white lights lined along the ceiling, making Naruto squint as they entered the wide corridor lined with all kinds of stores, fast food chain restaurants, and charming little cafes. Temari finally left Shikamaru's side and took it upon herself to bring the girls to all the best clothing and accessory shops. Ino's trepidation towards the older girl immediately dispersed, at least for the time being.

With the girls gone, Kankuro and Gaara turned to the remaining guys in the group. Kankuro smirked at the blank faces that stared back. "What do you guys want to do first?"

"I'm hungry," Choji volunteered.

"What? How?" Kankuro wouldn't be the first person outside their group of friends to be shocked by Choji's never ending appetite.

"Ooh, ooh! So am I!" Naruto grinned and wrapped an arm around Choji's shoulders. "Let's hit up a café!"

"I could go for something sweet." The chubby boy agreed.

"You two just ate." Sasuke commented in disgust. He always was surprised Naruto wasn't as big as Choji by the amount of food the blond consumed; he was grateful, too.

"We're not stopping for food again, and that's final." Gaara said in an authoritative tone. His narrowed green eyes and eyeliner left no room for argument, not that anyone dared to anyway. It seemed that having a political figure for a father left some kind of imprint of command on his children. Perhaps it was genetics.

"Well I don't have anyone to buy souvenirs for." Choji muttered, disheartened that he'd been denied food.

"Yeah, everyone I would buy something for is here," Naruto said. Then a thought occurred to him. "Should we get something for Suigetsu and Jūgo?"

"Don't bother." Sasuke countered immediately.

"Wha- bastard! Maybe I want to give them something!"

Sasuke leaned away from Naruto's shouting. "Fine, then get them something."

"I will!"

"How about you two stop bickering like a married couple and come with us to the arcade?" Kankuro jutted his thumb behind him where a large archway revealed a dark room filled with red and white lights, game machines of all kinds, and repetitive techno music.

Naruto couldn't remember the last time he'd gone to an arcade. The one back in Konoha was small, and he and Kiba were banned from going inside again due to getting in a fight with a group of high school boys that were hogging the best racing game in the whole joint. Naruto wished Kiba had come with them now so that they could jump back into their old routine.

On the other hand, Sasuke was being really annoying right now. That, or he was acting normal and Naruto was getting easily irritated. More like frustrated…it had been days now since he'd gotten to kiss Sasuke. He could still feel those lips on his ear; the slight brush of them had left him tingling. Due to the pile up of homework their teachers dished out just days before the trip, and Sasuke's library duties and kendo practice, Naruto and Sasuke had had to go their separate ways after school. And ever since they got to Suna, Naruto couldn't find a moment alone with the other boy when all their classmates were gathered around. They didn't even get to set up their futons next to each other due to Naruto's friends immediately surrounding him. It was nice to have so many people wanting to sleep beside him, but it hardly seemed to matter when it separated him from the boy he's been spending most of his nights with.

Just one kiss; he just wanted to give Sasuke one quick kiss and he'd be satisfied. Okay, that was a lie. He wanted to devour the other teen. He wanted to shove the bastard against a wall and kiss him mercilessly until Sasuke begged for air. And then begged for more. And Naruto would give him plenty more. The urge to hump the brains out of Sasuke was both bewildering and overpoweringly stimulating.

Since when did I want to get inside Sasuke's pants so badly?

He shook his head at the thought, and noticed that the group was waiting for him to say something. Well if they wanted to go play video games, which he was totally up for, too, they could go on without him. For now. "Sounds fun! You guys can get started on that, while Sasuke and I go look for souvenirs."

Sasuke opened his mouth to refuse the notion, but he slowly closed it and nodded in agreement.

Naruto beamed and held up two fingers to form a 'v', as in victory. For him. Because he was finally going to get to make out with his best friend.

No words were exchanged between the two boys as Naruto led them blindly through the sea of people in the mall, looking for a bathroom or some kind of alcove where he and Sasuke could loiter for a bit in privacy. A hand touched his shoulder and he turned to Sasuke who inclined his head in the direction of a GAP store on their left. So the bastard knew exactly what Naruto's indecent plans were.

Grinning in recognition, he followed the raven-haired teen into the store where they surveyed the area nonchalantly – only two other customers were walking about, an attendant was helping one, and there was no one at the register – and then made their way to the men's section of the store. Neither of them generally shopped at GAP, but the clothes were within their style. They pretended to peruse the selection on display, or at least Naruto thought they were pretending until Sasuke pulled out a pair of skinny jeans, checking the size on the waistband. He grabbed another pair that were a darker wash, and then moved to a table where a sale for solid color t-shirts sat. He picked two random colors and draped them over his arm before taking Naruto's hand and headed to the fitting rooms in the back at a brisk pace.

Thankfully there was no attendant there, so Sasuke and Naruto helped themselves to the very last stall in the room, making sure to lock the door. Sasuke took a moment to lay out the pants and shirts on the bench provided in the room, and Naruto only gave him a moment.

Throughout their time of officially being 'together', Sasuke had gotten used to and eventually succumbed to Naruto's aggression in the bedroom. He no longer pulled back or became paralyzed when Naruto pressed him into walls or furniture, instead meeting it head on and fanning the embers of desire by applying himself with just as much force.

When Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke's middle, he fisted his hands in the thick blond hair, biting Naruto's lip and earning a keen groan in response. He yanked Naruto's head back and glowered at him. "Are you a complete moron?" he hissed. "Keep it down or we'll get caught."

"Sorry, it's just-" Naruto pressed a hard kiss to Sasuke's lips. "It's been a few days-" Another kiss, more desperate than the last. "And I wanted to-"

This time, Sasuke kissed him. "You talk too much."

Naruto let the offense slide this time. He was too eager from feeling Sasuke's mouth on his again. It was like an addiction, but it made him feel grounded and airy all at once. He felt like he was too young to be kissing the way Sasuke kissed him. He felt like he was too old to be hiding from his friends just so he could grind against Sasuke in the back of a fitting room. He felt a lot of things. Arousal, a rush, apprehension at being caught, but that only spurred him on more. He also felt oppressed whenever Sasuke had to shush him. He could be as loud as he wanted on his bed, in his apartment.

He slipped a hand down the front of Sasuke's jeans, into his boxer briefs, but his forearm was immediately ceased in an iron grip. He leaned back from where he was sucking on Sasuke's earlobe to glare at the other boy.

"Not here." Sasuke said simply. His cheeks were tinged pink, and his eyes were unfocused, glassy and half lidded. Even his lips were slick and red from their fervent kissing. It made him look all the more enticing.

Naruto looked down at the hand on his arm. Sasuke was shivering, the same way he had been the night when Naruto rode him slowly. Blond eyebrows pulled together in a frown. He ignored Sasuke's words and tried to inch in further, but the grip on him strengthened. "Why not?"

Sasuke paused at the forceful tone Naruto had just used. It was rare that the other boy pushed against him. Naruto knew him as the more experienced one of the two, the smarter one, and therefore he followed Sasuke's lead when it came to their intimacy. He just had to explain their situation clearly and Naruto would let up. "Calm down. First of all, we're in public and we have to regroup with the others. Second, we don't have anything with us, and things will get messy if we go on."

Naruto listened distractedly to Sasuke. He could feel Sasuke's pubic hair, his soft skin beneath it, and the heat of his erection near his hand, to the left of his pinky. He wanted to touch it, hold it, get Sasuke off. "Just a little bit…" He pushed against Sasuke's grip.

"Naruto!" Sasuke whispered sharply, his arm straining to hold Naruto back.

It took several long, concentrated minutes, but Naruto won, breaking out of Sasuke's hold and taking the boy's dick in his hand. It felt damp, and he realized that Sasuke was leaking copiously. It threw his hormones into overdrive, to a height he'd never felt them reach before, but he knew that there was no turning back from this new high. He unbuttoned and unzipped Sasuke's pants with his other hand, shunting them and Sasuke's underwear down to give him more freedom to stroke Sasuke.

A bead of clear liquid oozed out of the tip when Naruto squeezed his hand as he slid it up Sasuke's shaft, and he pressed his thumb into the slit, watching the precum coat the pad of his thumb and the bright red tip. Sasuke hissed through his teeth and Naruto's head shot up, taking in the other boy's visage. Sasuke's eyes were closed, head resting against the wall and exposing his neck to Naruto. He swallowed and Naruto watched his Adam's apple bob from the motion.

Naruto's skin felt tight as he stared at the thudding pulse, visible on his bare throat. Saliva filled his mouth and he had to gulp it down before he pressed his lips to the pulse point, just kissing it and feeling the beat move through him and match his, or his changed to match Sasuke's; he was never sure anymore.

Sasuke gasped, eyes snapping open, and then he winced when Naruto bit him. His hand caught Naruto's again, lifting it away from his cock and into the air beside them. "I said no," he bit out weakly.

Naruto complied, at least for now. He adorned the spot on Sasuke's neck with a few more affectionate kisses and then pulled back to look at him. "I just wanted to get you off…" He smirked inwardly when Sasuke's eyelashes fluttered at his words, the idea obviously appealing to the other boy.

"Wait till we get home." Sasuke said, almost pleading. But he never begged.

"Home as in the hotel?" Naruto asked, excited.

Sasuke freed his hand from Naruto's to smack the idiot upside the head. "No, you moron. Your apartment."

"But that won't be till tomorrow night!" Naruto rested his head on Sasuke's shoulder, heaving a sigh on his collarbone. "You're killing me here…"

"Since when are you incapable of holding back? You're always telling me to put my boner away, and now you suddenly can't contain yours." He took Naruto's momentary lapse to tuck himself back in his underwear and pull up his pants.

Naruto pouted at the loss in chance to keep touching Sasuke's erection, but he said nothing in fear of embarrassing himself with how needy he was acting. He honestly didn't know why he was so horny suddenly, other than the fact that it had been a few days since any kind of release, and it was true that he usually badgered Sasuke about acting like some depraved pervert even though Naruto was no better (possibly far worse) than him. It seemed that Shikamaru wasn't the only one whose hormones were kicking into gear in Suna. Perhaps it was something in the water here.

"I don't know what's wrong with me. Do you…" Naruto could feel his cheeks heating up, knowing he was going to regret bringing this up. Sasuke was going to laugh at him. Never let him live this down. But he couldn't stop now. "Do you ever feel like we don't do it enough? I mean, I know you yourself said that it's not enough when it comes to kissing, but…everything else. The first time we did it, we couldn't keep going because it was a school night. But that one time- When you- You ended up getting me off again afterwards. And…the night before your kendo match…"

"You're not making any sense." Sasuke deadpanned.

"I'm saying that I want to do it more. A lot more. I can feel that my stamina is better than before, and I want to see just how many times we can do it before we collapse."

Sasuke stared at him blankly, his cock jumping in his pants at the other boy's words.

Naruto groaned, frustrated with himself for allowing it to get this bad, and stepped away from Sasuke. He glared offhandedly at the clothes Sasuke had brought in with them, not at all in the mood to try on clothes. He only tore his eyes away from them when Sasuke took Naruto's right arm in both hands and lifted the tan hand to his face. Their gazes locked through the spaces between Naruto's long fingers.

Naruto's jaw fell slack when that pink tongue he'd become acquainted with over the months slipped out and lapped at the precum on his hand and fingers, cleaning them thoroughly. It was an erotic sight, and Sasuke took his time, making sure Naruto watched him every second. When he was through, he tugged Naruto forward by the arm and hugged him close.

"We're not done here."

Naruto chuckled and carded his fingers through Sasuke's dark tresses, yanking his head to meet his lips in a mock battle that left both boys breathless from laughter and the impatience they both seemed to have when it came to not being able to have enough.

Half an hour later, when they had calmed down considerably, they left the store with a mask of indifference, too nervous to look any of the attendants in the eye in case they suspected something. To make their excuse for leaving ring true, they found a small gift shop located not too far from the GAP and bought Suigetsu and Jūgo small gifts that Sasuke agreed suited them. They saw the girls pass by, but the group didn't notice the two boys, too engulfed in whatever they were chattering about. Naruto rolled his eyes at the amount of bags they carried, Ino being the worst of them.

Naruto had no idea where they were, so Sasuke had to figure out their way back to the arcade where they rejoined with the others who were watching Kankuro move effortlessly on the dance pad to a DDR song.

"Oooh, I wanna try!" Naruto cheers, joining Kankuro on the other pad while the older boy paid for another game.

"Ever play before?" he asked as he scrolled through the vast list of songs.

"Oh yeah!" Naruto beamed. "I'm like the champion back home!"

"I thought you and Kiba weren't allowed in the arcade anymore." Shikamaru supplied unhelpfully.

Naruto growled at him. "Okay, so I was the champion until I was banned, but that's not the point!"

"Ready?" Kankuro held his hand over the button.

"I was born ready, believe it!"

Naruto was actually not ready at all. One would think playing DDR would be like riding a bike; you never forget how to. Well that was Naruto's mistake, and his skill had diminished since he was thirteen. He couldn't quite find a way to match the tempo, and his incoordination showed in his score. OKs flashed around his character while PERFECT after PERFECT complimented Kankuro's. The song couldn't end soon enough, and when it did, Naruto collapsed on the dance pad.

"Champion, huh?" Kankuro laughed, helping the pouting blond up. "That was hilarious."

"Shut up! So what if I'm not as nimble as I was when I was a kid. I make up for it with determination and boundless energy!" At that, Naruto turned and winked at Sasuke who only rolled his eyes, but the slight upward twitch of his lips did not go unnoticed.

"Want to go again, then?" Kankuro asked.

"You bet!" Naruto jumped up and down, rolling out his shoulders and neck in preparation. I can do this! I'm gonna do this!

After losing to Kankuro two more times, Naruto gave up trying to beat the master and called upon someone he was sure he could beat. "Choji, get your ass up here!"

"Do I look like the kind of guy who dances?" Choji asked. He eyed a driving game, deciding that he'd rather sit down than dance. Shikamaru joined him before Naruto could even ask.

"Sasuke-"

"Pass."

Of course that was his answer. Naruto grinned down at Gaara, leaning over the railing and into his face. "You'll dance against me, right?"

Gaara shrugged. He hadn't said much at all since Sasuke and Naruto came back together, instead standing inconspicuously in the background of the commotion.

"C'mon, it'll be fun." Naruto got off the pad and towed the red head to the machine. When he asked what difficulty of song Gaara wanted the other boy simply shrugged again. He informed Naruto that he'd never played before. Naruto cheered inwardly at his luck.

Even though Gaara said he'd never played before, the guy didn't so much as try. He maybe tried to hit the right mark once out of every five steps. At one point he even stopped in the middle of it all to answer a text.

Naruto's sweet victory wasn't sweet at all, and he roared at Gaara, chasing him off the dance pad. The others dispersed, leaving Naruto to "train" by himself and re-master the art of Dance Dance Revolution. It wasn't a complete waste of time, and he definitely enjoyed himself. He even got the hang of moving his arms along with his legs instead of just stomping like some Neanderthal. Finding a rhythm, he stuck to it, perfected it, owned it.

He'd even gotten a small audience during his time of training. A few girls watched him, snickering when he did more wild gestures with his body to the music, and little kids cheered him on to beat the high score. He was nowhere near racking up enough points to do something like that, but he gave them a thumbs-up anyway.

Eventually he was rejoined by his friends, the girls with them now. They were less than impressed by the way the boys had spent their time in the mall, Naruto especially. They wanted to get something to drink, and probably gush about all the girly crap they had bought, so they began ushering everyone out of the arcade.

"Hold on, hold on, one more time!" Naruto panted, his grin, eyes, and cheeks bright from his exertion. "I just want to do one more song! Someone dance with me, please?" He looked excitedly at the girls, hoping one of them would volunteer.

The only sound was the background noise of the arcade, other patrons laughing or growling at the games they were playing. No one else said a word. Naruto's smile dwindled as the seconds ticked by. And then…

"Fine, you total moron. I'll do it."

Naruto vibrated with excitement as Sasuke stepped casually onto the platform, still holding the bag that had Suigetsu and Jūgo's gifts in them. He hadn't had a chance to truly challenge Sasuke at something since he returned to Konoha. It was just like old times and he was beyond containing himself. Naruto made sure to pick his best song so that he held the upper hand – Sasuke could deal with it seeing as he got to look at Naruto naked when they were in private. He let out a laugh at the thought, waving it off when Sasuke looked at him inquisitively. The song began and Naruto reverted to his serious countenance.

He was moving as though he were a part of the song, following the steps in perfect sequence. He was right in choosing this song; there was no way Sasuke could beat him! He knew every beat and the move that accompanied it like he knew the entirety of the menu at Ichiraku. Half way through the song, he snuck a peek at Sasuke's score. His steps faltered.

What the hell, how had the bastard managed to get over a thousand points ahead of him? That was…that was impossible! He'd been following along like an expert; there were no chances for Sasuke to get ahead! He glanced at Sasuke, unable to stare for long due to needing to keep his eyes on the screen. He wouldn't have taken Sasuke for being a fluid dancer, at least not at a game. The dark-haired teen moved with grace and determination, his eyes glued to the monitor in mute concentration. He wasn't moving his upper body as much as Naruto; rather, he was more controlled, only raising his arms when he had to jump or step back fast.

It left a lot to question, Naruto thought. He still didn't know much about Sasuke. Yes, they were together a lot, but in that time they were either working together on homework, bickering about said homework, eating, fucking, or sleeping. When they were lying in bed, sometimes they brought up various subjects. Small things, like their school schedules, manga they've read, or shows they'd been meaning to watch but never got around to. Sometimes they talked about them. What they liked about the sex they'd just had, whether it was a gesture Naruto did or a sound Sasuke made.

Naruto didn't want a strictly sexual relationship with Sasuke. He wanted to know things, listen to what Sasuke was thinking about or the plans he had for the future. What university did he plan on applying to, or was he going to get a job instead? Did he know what he wanted to do for a career? Would he stay in Konoha after high school? Where did he see him…them in five years? Just how serious was he about Naruto?

Before he knew it, the game was over and Sasuke had beaten his score significantly. He couldn't really focus on being angry about that when his mind was so jumbled with a thousand questions and no direction to start in. He turned to Sasuke who was staring at him expectantly. His lips parted to speak. "Uh…good game."

Sasuke didn't say anything of the sort in return. "You lost your momentum half way through. What happened?"

"Uh…" Naruto shook his head in attempt to rid his crowding thoughts. He felt dizzy. "Aha, nothing! Just got a bit distracted is all." He immediately turned his fake grin away from Sasuke, knowing the boy could see right through him. "Hey, I'm thirsty as hell! Let's get outta here!"

"Sasuke, you were amazing up there!" Karin gushed, quickly suctioning herself to Sasuke's hip.

Naruto huffed in mock annoyance. "He wasn't that great. His technique is terrible, he's got a long way to go."

"You can say that even though I beat you?" Sasuke asked in mild amusement.

"Beginner's luck, that's all it was." Naruto ended the discussion there, snaking through the group to talk to Kankuro about the progress he had made with the machine before they had all shown up.

He attempted to distract himself from his thoughts of Sasuke by remaining close to Gaara and asking him more questions about himself and Suna. Karin helped with that factor, seeing as her hero worship for Sasuke seemed to have been rekindled after seeing him do something as simple as dancing. The day seemed to breeze by, ending with the sand siblings treating everyone to dinner at a casual restaurant that they ate at often. The food was delicious and cheap, so Naruto wasted no time in picking out three dishes for himself alone.

They all walked back to the hotel together, bidding each other goodbye. Gaara's siblings appeared shocked when the red head returned Naruto's forceful hug, and they promised to keep in touch and visit Konoha before the school year was over. It was close to their curfew, so the Konoha students had to wrap it up and head to their respective rooms or else get a lecture from a homeroom teacher. The boys used the public bath, and no one harassed Naruto about his pubic hair after what happened last time. Naruto spent the whole time telling Kiba and Shino about his day, and Kiba barked in laughter at hearing that Sasuke beat Naruto at DDR.

"Dude, you've always sucked at that game. What a loser, calling yourself a champion."

Naruto proceeded to attempt drowning the dog lover.

It seemed that everyone was rowdy due to it being their last night in the hotel. When Kakashi and Gai sensei came by to tell everyone to go to sleep, Naruto found himself settling down next to Sasuke instead of Choji like the previous night. He blinked owlishly at the other teen.

"What are you…"

"I asked Choji to switch futons with me." Sasuke answered simply.

The lights were turned off and Gai gave a final warning that if they heard any noise, he would make the culprit run laps on every floor of the hotel, using the stairs. That scared everyone into silence and then, soon, deep slumbers accompanied by light snoring.

Naruto was trying his best to get there, but everything he wondered about Sasuke returned tenfold, with more questions added to the ever expanding list, and he wanted to turn over and ask Sasuke everything. He released a heavy sigh, frustrated beyond belief. To make it all worse, he still wanted to touch Sasuke really, really badly.

He was about to turn onto his side to get comfortable, but a hand that most definitely didn't belong to him slipped under his blanket. The fingers brushed his forearm and followed it down until it came to his hand. It slipped under it, squishing palms together, intertwining their fingers and squeezing gently, almost reassuringly.

Naruto turned his head, but he could barely see Sasuke in the dark. "Hi?" he whispered to the darkness.

"Hey," Sasuke whispered back.

Naruto swallowed. Heat, both pleasurable and prickly, traveled up his arm and spread through him, filling him like intricate cobwebs that tickled his insides. A bubble formed in his throat, then popped, and he found himself whispering again. "I have a lot of things to ask you."

Sasuke tightened his fingers between Naruto's. "I could tell something was on your mind."

"Yeah…"

"I hear talking!" Gai sensei boomed from his spot in the front of the room. Jeezus, that guy had the ears of a bat or something.

Sasuke gave another squeeze: We'll talk about it tomorrow.

Naruto released another sigh. Sasuke left his hand in Naruto's for the entire night, and Naruto found that he was able to fall into a restful, dreamless sleep. The only thing in his conscious was the warmth from Sasuke touching him.

* * *

><p>It took several minutes after everyone on the bus had settled before Naruto found the courage within to bring up his thoughts from yesterday. He had decided while they were loading the bus that he'd start off slow with mundane things that he was sure Sasuke would roll his eyes at and brush off, but they were still important to Naruto. They were still very new to this relationship, so he couldn't just ask how long Sasuke planned on staying with him. He didn't really want to know anyway…at least not yet.<p>

"Sasuke?" He kept his voice low as to not disturb the students sitting around them. He wondered momentarily if maybe he should wait to ask Sasuke any personal questions until they got home, but the other boy was giving him his full attention now.

For some reason, Sasuke bent his head to kiss Naruto gently on the lips.

Not again…this bastard, always kissing him when he least expects it and in front of everyone, too. Well, it certainly wasn't as annoying as when he would do it before they started sleeping together. At least if someone saw, he wouldn't have to deny it and make up some flustered story about Sasuke looking to see if something was in Naruto's eye. That much he was grateful for.

"You said you had questions?" Sasuke muttered, his head remaining bent.

Oh. So that's what the kiss was for. Sasuke thought it would help him relax, and it did, but not the gesture itself so much as the thought behind it. Sasuke could be really cute at the most inexplicable times. It made Naruto smile.

"What's your favorite color?" he asked, completely at ease now.

Sasuke's face went slack, and he met Naruto's gaze openly. "Blue."

Obviously Sasuke had been worried as well. Naruto was going to take it slow. Who said they had to learn everything about each other in a single bus ride? As far as he was concerned, they had their whole lives ahead of them.

"What's your favorite position?" Sasuke smirked, and Naruto smacked him on the arm. "To sleep in. Ass."

"You're the one asking the questions, only you can be blamed." Sasuke retaliated with a soft punch to Naruto's shoulder. "Hmm…sleeping. I suppose," Sasuke made a barely noticeable smile, but Naruto saw it clearly, and it made his chest ache. "On my side. Next to you."

Naruto couldn't hold that deep gaze anymore. "God, you're so embarrassing."

Sasuke snorted in victory. As far as he was concerned, a flustered Naruto was the result of him doing a good job in making the other boy happy.

"Okay, fine. Favorite position." Naruto asked, wiping the grin off Sasuke's face.

It took several moments, but finally Sasuke leaned in and whispered in Naruto's ear, raising goosebumps on the tanned boy's skin. "I'll show you when we get home."

Naruto made an inaudible gasp, shuddering in his seat at the dark promise. He licked his lips and looked at Sasuke, knowing his face was as red as it felt. On the way to Sasuke's eyes, Naruto met someone else's.

Kiba stared at him with an unreadable expression before turning back in his seat. Naruto swallowed, suddenly nervous all over again, but for a completely different reason.

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><p>They both had the same idea. As soon as they were in Naruto's bedroom, their bags were dropped, forgotten in the dim lit hallway of Naruto's apartment, and lean arms wrapped around warm bodies that were missed terribly. They groped and moved against each other like starving beasts ready to rip into the flesh presented before them.<p>

Sasuke was the first one naked, for once, pale skin a healthy, warm flush rising from deep within, veins rushing blood to a specific point in his body and leaving him lightheaded and painfully aroused. Naruto was pinning Sasuke's narrow hips to the mattress, the aggression from the changing room returning, and Sasuke met it with his own volition. He could feel the tiny hairs on the back of his neck rising with the way Naruto nuzzled his chest, inhaling his scent, licking up a path through the sweat forming and making both their skins dewy.

He was so hard his loins were beginning to ache, and he turned the tables, rolling them over and nearly falling off the edge of the small bed. He awkwardly maneuvered them back to the center of the mattress, shucking down Naruto's boxers and flinging them to a corner of the room. Naruto made a weak protest, something about Sasuke making Naruto's room a mess even though he didn't live there. Sasuke muttered for the idiot to shut up, pressing sun kissed shoulders to the bed with his forearm, slipping two fingers in his mouth and drenching them with a thick coat of saliva. It helped that his mouth was watering at the knowledge that he was going to get to sleep with Naruto. Again.

It never got old, and he wondered if it ever would. Sex with Naruto was a gift, a treasure. He never thought that he would ever get to lay his hands on Naruto so intimately. It hadn't been at the front of his thought. No, how he was going to tell Naruto that he had missed him, had thought about him nonstop, like a boy usually thinks about a girl, after their kiss on the dock. He had been prepared for rejection, downright refusal, and maybe even a black eye and broken nose and busted lip.

Yet here he was, tongue flicking a pert nipple roughly, lips trapping it like a cage of hot, wet suctions. His fingers curled within velvety insides, stroking, searching, becoming even more familiar with the gasping boy who was bucking his hips onto those fingers. Naruto's reddening erection, agitated from being ignored for so long, leaked onto taut stomach muscles that spasmed with each jab against Naruto's prostate.

Naruto said he couldn't get enough of this. He hadn't clarified much beyond that, but Sasuke knew that he was worse off than the idiot. He had it bad, has had it bad for years, and Naruto was only just beginning to scratch the surface of Sasuke's desire, his unadulterated need, his crushing anxiety of wanting every piece of Naruto for himself.

That night, they didn't stop after the first round. They moved together, seamlessly, well into the early morning hours when the summer insects finally decided to rest and the birds decided to rise. They had finished off the box of condoms Sasuke had brought, but that didn't stop them from getting each other off, Naruto clumsily, tiredly, jerking Sasuke off and Sasuke fingering Naruto until the other boy groaned that he was starting to feel sore.

As they lay there naked on Naruto's bed, the cover kicked off the end of the bed due to it being far too hot, Sasuke's arms wrapped around Naruto's middle, leaving only an inch of space between their bodies to feel that addicting heat radiating between his stomach and Naruto's back, Sasuke allowed himself to wonder.

Should he tell Naruto about Danzō? Explain the whole reasoning of why he and Itachi had left Konoha in the first place? The mission of the Akatsuki, the coming together of his so-called gang, Sasuke's pledge to vengeance for his parents _and._..Naruto's.

"Sasuke," Naruto called tiredly, breaking Sasuke free of the imprisonment of his thoughts for the moment. Sasuke shook himself back to reality, leaning his face closer and pressing a kiss to the top knot of Naruto's spine, letting him know that he was indeed awake and listening. "Let's go to Ichiraku's tomorrow."

Sasuke's lips parted over Naruto's skin. This boy...he was so naive to the dark clouds that lurked in Sasuke's head. And Sasuke wouldn't drag him under, won't allow that ball of light to be taken, and so he shut off his thoughts. "Fine." He agreed.

"You're paying." Naruto snickered.

Sasuke bit Naruto on the back of the neck, squeezing Naruto tight around his stomach so he couldn't escape when he began thrashing. He wanted his idiot to remain a carefree, ramen loving freak forever.

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><p><strong>Wow that was a lot. And the sad part is, everything had been written over a year ago, the only thing I had to add was that last bit right there. Yup, this chapter has basically been done for a year and I just never posted it. Sorry guys. See you around, I hope!<strong>


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